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** A derailed stimulus deal means further economic shock
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A note from EPI’s Eve Tahmincioglu ([link removed]) : Trump’s conflicting tweets in recent days have imperiled the potential for a substantive COVID-19 stimulus package. If Congress is unable to agree on aid it would reverberate throughout the economy. It would put on hold much-needed stimulus funds for workers who are struggling to keep their heads above water during the pandemic and for state and local governments hit hard by this economic shock.
For months, EPI experts have been providing research and analysis on why a continuation of economic stimulus is so critical. Here’s a roundup of recent reports and posts making the case for aid now:
* The Way Out Through State and Local Aid: Bipartisan group of economists breaks down why local governments need aid now ([link removed])
If a bipartisan group of the nation’s top economists were trapped in an elevator with Republican members of Congress, what would they tell them about the need for state and local aid? Read the blog post » ([link removed])
* At least 33 million workers are being hurt by the coronavirus recession ([link removed])
Stimulating the economy to create jobs is crucial—both to the 33 million workers who are being directly harmed by the recession—because they are either out of work or have had their hours and pay cut—and to the millions more who saw their bargaining power disappear as the recession took hold. Read the blog post » ([link removed])
* The first big gash of austerity: The cutback to the $600 boost to unemployment benefits reduced personal income by $667 billion (annualized) in August ([link removed])
Failing to renew the extra $600 is also exacerbating racial inequality. Due to the impact of historic and current systemic racism, Black and brown communities ([link removed]) have seen more job loss in this recession and have less wealth to fall back on. Read the blog post » ([link removed])
* Slowdown in jobs added means we could be years away from a full recovery ([link removed])
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 » ([link removed])
** Save the Date: EconCon Presents ([link removed])
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Groundwork Collaborative—along with EPI and eight other host organizations—is delighted to announce EconCon Presents, taking place on Monday, October 19, 2020. At this half-day virtual event, you will hear experts, organizers, and advocates discuss how we got where we are today, the types of ideas and bold structural policies needed to repair our economy, and how we can use this moment to eliminate the inequities that plagued our economy long before the pandemic—to create a better, more equitable, more stable economy for all of us. Please join us and our exciting confirmed speakers, including Dr. Tressie McMillan Cottom, Mehrsa Baradaran, Heather McGhee, Ady Barkan, Jamelle Bouie, and Jess Morales Rocketto. More to come! Register for the event » ([link removed])
** Upcoming webinars
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** Centering Unequal Workplace Power ([link removed])
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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 today for the launch of Unequal Power ([link removed]) , 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 ([link removed]) . Register for the event » ([link removed])
** The Teacher Compensation Penalty ([link removed])
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Public school teachers earn about 20% less in weekly wages than nonteacher college graduates, according to a recent EPI report ([link removed]) . Although teachers on average enjoy better benefits packages than similar workers, the authors find that benefits mitigate only part of the pay penalty. EPI President Thea Lee will moderate a discussion ([link removed]) 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 » ([link removed])
** Previous webinar
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** Coronavirus Pandemic Poses Major Challenges to U.S. Students and Teachers—and Exacerbates Existing Education Inequities ([link removed])
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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 ([link removed]) about a host of factors leading to disruptions in learning caused by the coronavirus pandemic. Watch the video » ([link removed])
** EPI in the news
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In a Bloomberg ([link removed]) op-ed, EPI Board Member Teresa Ghilarducci warned New Yorkers against purchasing a car, citing EPI research ([link removed]) on jobs and unemployment. | New Yorkers, Don ([link removed]) ’ ([link removed]) t Bother to Buy a Covid Car ([link removed])
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If Congress doesn’t help workers, its failure to act “will go down as one of the biggest unforced errors in the economy,” EPI Director of Policy Heidi Shierholz said on Marketplace ([link removed]) . | Where’s the Safety Net for Laid-Off Workers? ([link removed])
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EPI Director of Media Relations Kayla Blado wrote an opinion piece for Wisconsin Watch ([link removed]) about the need for white Wisconsinites to address racist policies that have caused extreme racial disparities between the state’s Black and white residents, citing EPI research on Black workers ([link removed]) and the federal minimum wage ([link removed]) . | White Wisconsinites Must Reckon with the Deep Racial Inequities in Our State ([link removed])
Follow EPI on Instagram ([link removed])
** What we’re reading
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Leaked: Confidential Amazon memo reveals new software to track unions ([link removed])
Amazon has long opposed the idea of its warehouse employees forming a union, though much of its anti-union strategies have stayed under wraps. Read more » ([link removed])
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For Postal Workers, the Challenges Go Way Beyond Ballots ([link removed])
WASHINGTON — Douglas Elbaum, a postal worker in Broward County, Fla., arrives at the Postal Service’s Sunrise branch at 4 a.m., when his only companions are his supervisor, the plant’s mice and palmetto bugs. Read more » ([link removed])
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A derailed stimulus would derail workers, states, local governments
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