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EDUCATION, LABOR, AND WORKER JUSTICE DECEMBER 2023
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In 2021 and 2022, President Biden signed the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), and the Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors and Science Act (CHIPS and Science Act) into law. They are slated to create millions of good jobs, but without state and local intervention women and workers of color will be left behind. This report identifies the workforce and supportive service funding opportunities within the infrastructure laws, highlights initiatives that can promote equity in infrastructure jobs, and includes recommendations for state and local advocates to help build pathways to high-quality jobs for women and people of color.
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| Expand Access to Affordable High-Quality Child Care to Better Serve Black Student Fathers |
| Black student fathers confront unique barriers on their journey to obtaining a postsecondary degree. Central to these challenges are the soaring cost of child care and a shortage of on-campus child care facilities. Increasing funding for The Child Care Development Fund (CCDF) and Child Care Access Means Parents in School (CCAMPIS) would better support Black student fathers and improve their educational outcomes and overall economic security. |
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| Workplace Surveillance: Overwork’s Racist Roots |
| Technological innovation has always been a determining factor of job quality. The roots of overwork and surveillance can be traced back to America’s racist labor history. Today, companies like Amazon use ”time-off-task" tracking to enforce brutal productivity quotas, leading to untenable and dangerous work conditions. Targeted public policy is necessary to prevent technology from insidiously claiming control over a worker’s body, time, and autonomy. |
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Additional Publications and Testimonies
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What We Can Learn from the UAW Agreements
After a 46-day strike, the UAW won agreements with all three major automakers, achieving significant gains. This monumental achievement underscores the power of collective bargaining in enhancing job quality and attracting workers in today’s competitive labor market.
Exploitive Business Models: Corporate Profiteering and the Rise of Gig Work
In the face of economic hardship brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, corporations are exploiting workers and profiting. To increase profit margins companies are replacing direct employees with independent contractors, who often do not receive the same benefits, leading to a surge in gig work.
Keeping Affirmative Action for the Military Won’t Guarantee Diversity
In an op-ed for The Progressive, Christian Collins addresses the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to ban race-conscious admissions policies at colleges and universities, with an exemption for military academies. Collins argues that this exemption, despite its “potentially distinct interests” in continuing race-conscious admissions policies as suggested by Chief Justice John Roberts, will not guarantee a diverse, equitable, or inclusive military due to the greater impact of the Court’s ruling.
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Statement for the Record to U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Education and the Workforce Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Development Hearing on “How SCOTUS’s Decision on Race-Based Admissions is Shaping University Policies”
CLASP submitted a statement for the record to the House Subcommittee on Higher Education and the Workforce hearing on “How SCOTUS's Decision on Race-Based Admissions is Shaping University Policies.” We discussed how race-conscious admission practices are an effective tool used by institutions of higher education to promote diversity and inclusivity on their campuses and provided policy recommendations to improve college affordability and accessibility.
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Statement on U.S. Senate Committee on Finance Hearing: “Exploring Paid Leave: Policy, Practice, and Workforce”
CLASP submitted a statement at the first-ever Senate Finance Committee hearing on paid family medical leave. While 14 states have stepped in to provide paid leave to working people, it’s critical Congress create a federal paid leave program to provide all workers with paid leave to care for a new child, an ill loved one, or their own serious health condition.
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Testimony on Massachusetts H.B. No. 1848 An Act Establishing Rights and Obligations of Transportation Network Drivers and Transportation Network Companies
CLASP submitted testimony before the Massachusetts Joint Committee On Labor And Workforce Development in strong opposition of H.B. 1848, An Act Establishing Rights and Obligations of Transportation Network Drivers and Transportation Network Companies. This act would carve out workers’ rights for Transportation Network Drivers by classifying them as independent contractors.
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Public comment on Medicare and Medicaid Programs: Minimum Staffing Standards for Long-Term Care Facilities and Medicaid Institutional Payment Transparency Reporting (Fed. Reg. 61352)
CLASP submitted a comment to the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services regarding the proposed rule on nurse staffing standards for nursing homes participating in Medicaid and Medicare in response to understaffing in the industry. The comment recommends a minimum staffing standard, strictly enforced compliance measures, transparency, and continuous assessment of program efficacy.
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Comments submitted to The Department of Labor’s on Proposal to Update the Salary Threshold for Overtime
CLASP submitted a comment in strong favor of the Department of Labor’s proposed rule to update the salary threshold for overtime protections. The Federal Labor Standards Act ensures overtime protection for most hourly workers, but eligibility for salaried workers depends on their pay and job type. The current salary threshold for hourly workers is too low and has not kept pace with inflation.
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Testimony on Massachusetts H. No. 1158/S. 627 An Act Establishing Protections and Accountability For TNC and DNC Workers, Consumers, And Communities (EPA)
CLASP submitted testimony before the Massachusetts Committee on Financial Services in favor of H. 1158/S. 627, which seeks to enhance protections for Transportation and Delivery Network company workers, establish minimum wage guarantees for their entire working time, and provide equitable labor protections.
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Putting the Pieces Together for Families with Young Children: Exploring Alignment Between State Health and Human Service, Nutrition, Child Care, and Paid Family and Medical Leave Programs
In this report, CLASP explores the value and importance of integrating or aligning programs that support families with infants and toddlers, including paid family and medical leave, child care Medicaid, TANF, SNAP, and WIC.
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Learning While Earning: The National Apprenticeship Act
In partnership with the Congressional Progressive Caucus Center, CLASP released an explainer that breaks down the history of apprenticeships, what they are, the government's role in promoting apprenticeships, options for Congress to improve apprenticeship quality, and the current Congressional landscape on apprenticeships.
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CLASP Statement on U.S. House of Representatives Education and Workforce. Subcommittee on Workforce Protections Hearing: “Bad for Business: DOL’s Proposed Overtime Rule”
CLASP submitted a statement strongly supporting the Department of Labor’s proposed rule to update and revise overtime regulations. The overtime salary threshold has not been properly updated for nearly 50 years and this proposed salary threshold is modest and well within the boundaries of historical precedent. It is an important step toward updating the overtime regulations and addressing the low salary threshold set by the last administration in 2019.
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