CONTACT:    Michael Reinemer, 703-966-9574, Michaelreinemer@hotmail.com

     Sandra J. Klassen, 703-489-6187, sjkintl@gmail.com

On Thursday, October 17 at 7:00 pm ET, EPI President Lawrence Mishel will join Pulitzer-Prize winning filmmaker and author Hedrick Smith, AFL-CIO Deputy Chief of Staff Thea Lee and other economic policy experts to discuss the causes and costs of income inequality. During the forum, the panelists will detail how wage and income growth has stagnated for most Americans over the last 30 years, while the wages and incomes for the top 1 percent have skyrocketed. They will also discuss how the sustained high unemployment of the weak recovery from the Great Recession will further increase inequality, since high unemployment does disproportionate damage to the earnings of low and moderate income workers.

WHAT:    Policy forum: “You Need a Raise: Fighting Growing Income Inequality and the Policies that Foster It”

WHO:       Dean Baker, co-director, Center for Economic and Policy Research

Thea Lee, deputy chief of staff, AFL-CIO President’s Office

Lawrence Mishel, president, Economic Policy Institute

Hedrick Smith, Pulitzer-Prize winner, author of “Who Stole the American Dream?”

Lori Wallach, director, Public Citizen’s Global Trade Watch

Moderator: Solon Simmon, interim dean, George Mason University School for Conflict Analysis and Resolution

WHERE:       National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, 4301 Wilson Blvd, Arlington, VA 22203

WHEN:    Thursday, October 17, 7:00 to 9:00 pm

Cosponsoring organizations include:  Center for Economic and Policy Research, Coalition of Asian Pacific Americans of Virginia, Economic Policy Institute Policy Center, Fairfax County NAACP, Northern Virginia Labor Federation, Unitarian Universalists for Social Justice in the National Capital Region, Virginia AFL-CIO, Virginia Progressive Caucus.

The hosting sponsor: National Affairs Committee of the Fairfax County Democratic Committee chaired by Sandra Klassen.

Media RSVP:

Michaelreinemer@hotmail.com, 703-966-9574 or Sandra J. Klassen, 703-489-6187, sjkintl@gmail.com