Media clips

Charlotte ranked 8th least affordable U.S. city for minimum-wage workers

Percent of Minimum Wage Take-Home Pay Needed for Median Rent in 34 Cities [table]

Charlotte Stories February 3, 2020
New York bill would help exploited workers recover lost wages, boost state funds

According to the Economic Policy Institute, a non-partisan fiscal think tank, more than 60 million American workers are subject to forced arbitration agreements, which are typically buried in employment contracts.

New York Daily News February 3, 2020
Health care sharing ministries: A good alternative to health insurance?

Americans are spending a bigger share of their income than ever on health care costs. According to a 2018 report by the Economic Policy Institute, workers in the bottom 90% of the income scale had to pay 6.8% of their income for an employer-sponsored family health plan in 1999. By 2016, that number had climbed to 15% of average income. For some consumers, subsidized health care plans through the Affordable Care Act (ACA) offer a more affordable alternative, but these subsidies aren’t available to everyone.

Money Crashers February 3, 2020
Congress’s most ambitious attempt to strengthen unions in years is set for a House vote next week

The bill would create penalties for employers that violate federal labor law by retaliating against workers who are trying to unionize. Currently, no such penalties exist. Economists and labor law experts say that this means companies have few disincentives for breaking the law. About 40 percent of companies whose workers vote to unionize are charged with violating federal law during union campaigns, according to federal data obtained by the left-leaning Economic Policy Institute.

The Washington Post February 3, 2020
ECE (TV Clips)

NBC10 Boston Today at 6:00am

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February 3, 2020
Congress’s biggest obstacle

CBO does not factor in the benefits of carbon emissions reductions when estimating environmental policy. “There’s a social cost of carbon that the government uses,” says Josh Bivens, director of research at the Economic Policy Institute. “That should go in and be reflected.” Bivens adds that CBO’s estimated job loss in the Affordable Care Act was based on assumptions that people with more secure insurance coverage would voluntarily give up work. “If people are voluntarily moving out of the labor force, it’s hard to say it’s a big crisis,” he notes.

The American Prospect February 3, 2020
“Respect for Graduate Student Workers Act” introduced in House and Senate

According to a December 2019 report by the Economic Policy Institute, “At a time when worker advocates are demanding that more workers have the right to a union and collective bargaining, the Trump board’s graduate teaching assistant proposal demonstrates a fundamental lack of understanding that graduate teaching assistants are an integral part of the modern academic workforce.”

People’s World February 3, 2020
Businesses are cutting back their investments
Consumers are feeling better about the economy because, after a long economic recovery, a lot of people have low expectations, according to Josh Bivens, director of research at the Economic Policy Institute.

“They have really beaten down expectations, and so if you look over the past year, unemployment is pretty low, wages are doing not great but OK. Maybe they’re like, ‘This is as good as it’s been for a while,’” Bivens said.
Marketplace February 3, 2020
Teachers and other school supporters rally for increased state funding.

The true cost of education is more than adequate pay for teachers, which according to the Economic Policy Institute is 31% less in Virginia for college graduates than their peers, ranking the state third-worst in the nation.

Style Weekly February 3, 2020
Despite more state money, Clark County teachers still coming out of pocket for supplies

The average Nevada public school teacher spends $543 of their own money on school supplies, the sixth highest amount in the country, according to an August state-level analysis conducted by the left-leaning Economic Policy Institute. In Clark County, educators reported to the Clark County Education Association that they pay an average of $1,000 per year on school supply costs, some of which is reimbursed, CCEA president Vikki Courtney said.

Las Vegas Sun February 3, 2020