Honestly, though, it’s not surprising. Missouri Republicans have had supermajorities in the state House and Senate for as long as I can remember. They’re used to marching to the beat of their own drum—even when that drum is out of step with the rest of Missouri. Earlier in the 2018 election cycle, Missouri voted on Proposition A: whether or not we should enact Right to Work. Right to Work is a usually Republican-led law that looks to strip power from labor unions. According to the Economic Policy Institute, Right to Work states tend to have lower wages and less rights for workers.
The University News
March 20, 2019
The Board of Directors of the National Academy of Social Insurance has approved the election of 45 distinguished social insurance experts to the Academy, adding to the total active Membership of over 1,100. (A complete list of individuals newly-elected to the Academy can be found below.)
National Academy of Social Insurance
March 20, 2019
Washington, D.C. – During today’s U.S. House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Communications and Technology hearing on the T-Mobile/Sprint merger, witnesses raising concerns about the proposed merger offered detailed and extensive documentation and analysis, while merger supporters relied on vague and unsubstantiated claims.
Public
March 20, 2019
The economist Milton Friedman got it wrong when he said a firm’s business is to maximize profits, Jones said. A firm that focuses on profits above all else “is not sustainable.” Consider the growing level of income inequality and all the social distortions that come with it—populism, disgruntled low-skilled workers, displacement. According to the Economic Policy Institute, American workers saw pay gains since 1978 of 11 percent, adjusted for inflation. CEOs? 937 percent increase, a 70 percent faster pace than the stock market.
Wealth Management
March 20, 2019
Just as one teachers’ strike ended in Los Angeles another continues in Denver. Many teachers report being happy with their jobs but are unable to make ends meet, which is why salaries are the primary bone of contention in these strikes. Teachers have a strong case to make that they need and deserve more pay, given the discrepant pay between teaching and comparable professions: Teachers earned 4.3 percent less than workers with similar education and experience in 1996, a gap that grew to 17 percent in 2015, according to the Economic Policy Institute.
The Hill
March 20, 2019
In 1982, according to the Economic Policy Institute, the average CEO earned 50 times the average production worker. Today, the CEO Pay Ratio’s increased to 144 times the average worker with most of the gains a result of stock options and awards.
Nasdaq
March 20, 2019
“I think we’re at a tipping point,” says Thea Lee, who leads the lefty Economic Policy Institute, which is skeptical of free trade agreements. “You could see Democrats retreat to their comfort blanket. My hope is we can convince people that’s not an option. We’re not going to go back to the status quo ante. What we need to do is have a forward-looking vision.”
VOX
March 20, 2019
In all, nearly 2 million low-wage workers in both states will get a raise in 2019, according to an analysis by the left-leaning Economic Policy Institute.
VOX
March 20, 2019
The Raise the Wage Act of 2019 would increase wages for 38 percent of all African-American workers, and 23 percent of white workers, according to the Economic Policy Institute report. Wade Luneburg, political director with hospitality union Unite Here, said no Minnesotan who works full time should have to live in poverty.
Public News Service
March 20, 2019
Let’s talk about what that $15 minimum wage bill would do, though, because Republicans should have to face consequences for their actions, and working people should know what Republicans are doing to them. Here’s the bottom line, from the Economic Policy Institute: “All told, raising the minimum wage to $15 by 2024 would directly or indirectly lift wages for 39.7 million workers, 26.6 percent of the wage-earning workforce.” The average worker who would be directly affected—that is, who would get a raise because they earned less than the new minimum wage—would get an extra $4,000 in pay if they work all year.
Daily Kos
March 20, 2019