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A note from EPI’s Kirstyn Flood: The summer of 2020 will be remembered as one of liberation, as essential workers go on strike during the pandemic, millions across the country demonstrate against systemic racism, and Juneteenth is celebrated widely in recognition of the emancipation of enslaved people. Our economists have been at the forefront of researching and analyzing the data needed to take the liberation to fruition for all workers, and two of them were recently included on a list of 19 Black economists to “celebrate and know.”
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The coronavirus pandemic has revealed much about work in the United States: There have been countless examples of workers speaking out against unsafe work conditions and demanding personal protective equipment (PPE) to try and stay healthy and safe on the job. However, when workers have advocated for health and safety protections or wage increases, they have often been retaliated against, and even fired for doing so. As a result, many workers have decided to strike in an effort to have their voices heard. The resurgence of strike activity in recent years has given over a million workers an active role in demanding improvements in their pay and working conditions, but it’s impossible to understand the scope of how many workers are utilizing their fundamental right to strike. The Bureau of Labor Statistics should provide funding to gather comprehensive data on worker strikes, and policymakers should keep strengthening the right to strike for workers at the heart of labor law reform going forward. Read the blog post »
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Workers are striking during the coronavirus
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Almost eight years to the day after President Obama announced his Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals initiative, better known as DACA, the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) has issued a decision in Department of Homeland Security et al. v. Regents of the University of California et al.—the litigation concerning whether the Trump administration’s attempt to end DACA was carried out lawfully. In a stunning rebuke to the Trump administration’s rescission of DACA, the Supreme Court ruled 5–4 that the Trump administration failed to comply with the requirements of the Administrative Procedure Act (APA) when ending DACA. Given his vehement animosity toward immigrants, if Trump wins reelection in November, it is almost certain that DACA won’t exist for much longer. Congress must pass legislation that provides an immediate path to citizenship for DACA recipients, as well as for other Dreamers who were brought to the United States as children. Read the blog post »
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For the week ending June 13, 2.2 million workers applied for unemployment benefits. This is the 13th week in a row—a full three months—that initial unemployment claims are more than twice the worst week of the Great Recession. Policymakers need to act decisively to fight this recession and set our economy up for a strong recovery, which will not happen without substantial additional fiscal aid. Further, the across-the-board $600 increase in weekly unemployment benefits should be extended well past its expiration in late July. We also need increased support for safety net programs, including SNAP (or food stamps). And importantly, we can’t turn off federal relief too early. Read the blog post »
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EPI hosted a bipartisan panel on June 1 of the nation’s top economists to discuss the urgent need for federal aid for state and local public services—including public safety, health, and education—to mitigate the economic harm caused by the coronavirus pandemic. The group of panelists, moderated by EPI President Thea Lee, took media questions about the state of our economy and discussed the importance of adequate aid to individuals, businesses, and state and local public services to speed and sustain a robust recovery. Watch the video »
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COVID-19 is acting as a magnifying glass to the deep-seated systemic inequities ever-present in the United States. EPI hosted a webinar on June 1 with the Insight Center; the Women’s Institute for Science, Equity, and Race; the Mississippi Workers’ Center for Human Rights; and Economic Education. The webinar included findings from EPI’s new report on Black workers, followed by a discussion on strategies to build an inclusive economy that centers on the needs of Black and Brown women and their communities. Watch the video »
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EPI President Thea Lee joined a panel of experts on May 27 for a discussion of life after the economic crisis and what we must do about it. Lee; Robert Pollin, co-director of the Political Economy Research Institute; and Noam Chomsky, renowned linguist, historian, and philosopher discussed their projections of how the crisis will unfold in the months and years to come. This webinar is a part of the Just Transition Listening Project, launched by the Labor Network for Sustainability and partners. Watch the webinar »
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EPI hosted authors William A. Darity Jr. and A. Kirsten Mullen on May 27 for a discussion of From Here to Equality: Reparations for Black Americans in the Twenty-First Century. Through their assessment of the intergenerational effects of white supremacy on Black economic well-being, Darity and Mullen confront the injustices of slavery, Jim Crow, and modern-day discrimination to make the most comprehensive case to date for economic reparations for U.S. descendants of slavery. EPI economist Valerie Wilson moderated the discussion. Watch the video »
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As demonstrators across America fight to liberate black people, whether through calls to abolish the police or through legislative action against systemic racism, the country is getting ready to celebrate the 155th anniversary of one of its earliest liberation moments: Juneteenth. Read more »
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From essential worker strikes to protests against racism, it’s the summer of liberation
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