Since 2021, lawmakers in at least ten states have introduced or passed legislation that would weaken child employment rules, according to a December 2023 report from the Economic Policy Institute (EPI).
“Instead of competing in a race to the bottom on child labor standards, states can eliminate significant gaps and exclusions in existing child labor laws, strengthen protections beyond the minimal and limited standards mandated by federal law, and improve job quality for workers of all ages,” the report reads.
The Independent
January 26, 2024
Real wages increased marginally over the last 12 months, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, but remained flat in real terms dating back to the late 1970s, according to the Economic Policy Institute.
Restaurant Dive
January 26, 2024
Raising the minimum wage is good for workers, business and the economy, according to Ben Zipperer, an economist at the Economic Policy Institute (EPI). Zipperer said boosting the national minimum wage is long overdue.
“Workers today who are paid the federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour are, after adjusting for inflation, paid 29 percent less than their counterparts 50 years ago,’’ said Zipperer.
WorkersCompensation.com
January 26, 2024
According to the Economic Policy Institute, “the federal minimum wage is worth 30% less today than when it was last raised 14 years ago.”
The Nation
January 26, 2024
Along with the passage of laws unfavorable toward labor unions, some corporations invest money into programs and consultants who engage in union-suppressing tactics, according to the Economic Policy Institute (EPI). A 2019 analysis from the EPI found that companies spent $340 million a year on “union avoiding” consultants who help deter organizers. And employers were charged with violating federal law in 41.5% of all union election campaigns.
USA Today
January 26, 2024
The gains in private sector union membership came courtesy of younger workers and people of color, according to an analysis of the BLS data by the Economic Policy Institute.
Huffpost
January 26, 2024
These are just a few of Robb’s greatest hits—see this report from the Economic Policy Institute for a full accounting of the disastrous policies pursued under his leadership.
The New Republic
January 26, 2024
“Workers want unions, but a broken system is undermining their efforts to organize at every turn,” said Heidi Shierholz, president of the Economic Policy Institute. “Employers have exploited weaknesses in U.S. labor law, and federal and state policymakers have failed to prevent this from happening.”
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EPI’s Shierholz said the smaller premium may also owe something to “spillover effects” when wider pay standards set by unions help boost non-union pay. It’s a phenomenon she said played out “in real time” recently in the pay increases for non-unionized autoworkers after strikes by the United Auto Workers at Ford, General Motors and Stellantis resulted in substantial union pay hikes.
“So the union premium is reduced by the spillover effect, but that’s all good as far as workers are concerned,” Shierholz said.
Reuters
January 26, 2024
“Misclassification is a problem that affects many low-paid industries like construction, transportation, home health care,” says Sally Dworak-Fisher, senior staff attorney at NELP. But “people in every occupation at all types of pay levels” can be vulnerable to it, says Samantha Sanders, director of government affairs and advocacy at the Economic Policy Institute.
CNBC
January 26, 2024
Jennifer Sherer, a director at the Economic Policy Institute, sees a silver lining in the data: People ages 16 to 45 are driving union membership growth and have decades of employment ahead of them.
“That’s not just polling and survey data, but that’s young people going through the very challenging and courageous process of organizing new unions even against the odds,” she said.
KCUR public radio (Kansas City)
January 26, 2024