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A note from EPI’s Eve Tahmincioglu: The presidential candidates took the stage for their first of three debates, and unfortunately, amidst the rancor, little concrete information emerged in terms of policies or plans for bolstering workers. Political experts expect more substance to come from future debates and, in order to help our readers understand the state of working people in this country, EPI has compiled resources that could be useful when unpacking economic claims, shedding light on everything from COVID’s impact on health insurance to how investments in infrastructure and climate would boost job creation. In this issue, we also introduce the ‘Unequal Power project,’ inspired by Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and hear from education experts about the challenges to K–12 learning presented by the pandemic.
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EPI has compiled resources that could be helpful in fact-checking economic and political claims made during and after the presidential debates. We’ve broken down our research into several themes and have highlighted some of our most important research in each area: response to COVID-19, unemployment, labor protections, trade and manufacturing, taxes, health care, education, child care, immigration, and wages and inequality. Read the blog post »
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Fact-checking resources for the presidential debates and beyond
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Among the many important legacies Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg leaves behind is a critical labor law legacy that shines a light on the inequality of bargaining power between employees and employers. As Samuel Bagenstos, a former Ginsburg clerk, writes, Ginsburg’s 2018 dissent in Epic Systems v. Lewis “was apt—not just because the court’s decisions have undermined the enforcement of democratically adopted worker protections, but also because those decisions have rested on a view of consent that ignores the imbalance of bargaining power in the workplace.” Bagenstos is the author of a forthcoming paper on the “Lochner era,” named for the 1905 labor case Lochner v. New York; the paper is part of a new EPI initiative called the Unequal Power project that highlights the flawed but pervasive assumption that workers and employers have equal power. The Unequal Power project, to be launched on October 7, is dedicated to Justice Ginsburg. Read the blog post »
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On Friday, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) will release its latest jobs report with a snapshot of the labor market in mid-September. By now, the pandemic recession has caused immense damage to the health and economic well-being of millions of people for over six months. The economic pain easily extends to over 33 million people in the economy today. Meanwhile, policymakers—particularly Senate Republicans—continue to drag their feet on relief. It is a simple fact that the labor market damage would be significantly lessened by vital public health investments and economic relief for today’s workforce as well as state and local governments. Policymakers must act if there’s any hope for a swifter and more broad-based recovery. Read the blog post »
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Policymakers have failed to mitigate the coronavirus pandemic’s damaging impact on K–12 education and provide the necessary funding to make it safe for students to return to in-person learning. That was the resounding message from a panel of key educators, researchers, and labor leaders convened by EPI. The event centered around a recent EPI report, COVID-19 and Student Performance, Equity, and U.S. Education Policy, which outlines a three-pronged plan for schools and the U.S. education system: immediate relief, short-term recovery, and long-term rebuilding. Watch key moments from the event »
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The equal power assumption is false, but pervasive, in employment law, philosophy, political science, and economics, and it greatly disadvantages the vast majority of working people. The Economic Policy Institute’s Unequal Power initiative is a three-year, interdisciplinary initiative that challenges the equal power assumption and identifies why we need to operate within a framework that centers unequal workplace power. Join us on Wednesday, Oct. 7, for the launch of Unequal Power, featuring presentations and a discussion by leading thinkers, a brief overview of the project, and a dedication of the initiative to Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, whose dissent in Epic Systems inspired the project. Register for the event »
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Public school teachers earn about 20% less in weekly wages than nonteacher college graduates, according to a recent EPI report. Although teachers on average enjoy better benefits packages than similar workers, the authors find that benefits only mitigate part of the pay penalty. EPI President Thea Lee will moderate a discussion on Wednesday, Oct. 14, featuring National Education Association President Becky Pringle and the report’s authors, Lawrence Mishel and Sylvia Allegretto. The speakers will share findings from the report, delve into the history of teacher pay, and assess the impact of the persistent pay inequity. Register for the event »
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EPI hosted a discussion about the state of education during COVID-19, and what needs to be done now to support educators and mitigate the damage to student performance—especially for the most vulnerable children. Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, AFL-CIO, opened the conversation, and Ivey Welshans, a teacher in Philadelphia, gave a reality check on the challenges on the ground. We also heard from the authors of an EPI report about a host of factors leading to disruptions in learning caused by the coronavirus pandemic. Watch the video »
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Fact-checking resources for debate season
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