|
|
A note from EPI’s Kirstyn Flood: Election Day is right around the corner, giving those who have been historically excluded from policy decisions—particularly Black, Hispanic, and young voters—another opportunity to change the status quo. Although a historic number of voters have hit the polls early, first-time voters and returning voters alike are having trouble overcoming oppressive voter suppression tactics. Check out EPI’s voter resource guide to ensure that your voice is heard in the upcoming presidential election.
|
|
Every vote is critical. It’s time to make a plan to vote if you haven’t already—and help others get the information they need to do the same. Visit EPI’s voter resource guide for information on voting and registration by state, voter rights, language access, and voting for the first time, as well as general resources. Learn more about voting »
|
|
Share this voter resource guide:
Voting Resources
|
|
EPI research finds that Black, Hispanic, and young workers are among those hit hardest by the COVID-19 recession—facing unemployment rates far beyond what white workers and older workers are facing. The resulting economic challenges—including food insecurity and the threat of eviction, among others—will compound if additional relief doesn’t come soon. Young adults and Black and Hispanic citizens have also been historically underrepresented at the polls—but could that change in 2020? Those who have been most harmed by current policies have a chance to have their voices heard by the very policymakers who have left them behind during the COVID-19 pandemic. Read the blog post »
|
|
The Trump National Labor Relations Board’s (NLRB) suspension of union elections for a two-week period at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic impacted nearly 17,000 workers seeking to unionize, according to a new EPI report. The affected workers included many who were deemed “essential” during the pandemic, with one in six affected workers in health or emergency services. The suspension of union elections fits into a broader pattern of the Trump administration undermining workers’ right to a union and democracy itself. The authors explain that the decline in workplace democracy has ramifications for our overall democratic system. Read the report »
|
|
Before the candidates took the stage for last week’s presidential debate, EPI compiled resources for fact-checking economic and political claims. The list highlights key EPI research in these areas: workers most hurt by COVID-19, unemployment, labor protections, trade and manufacturing, taxes and spending, health care, education, child care, immigration, and wages and inequality. Read the blog post »
|
|
EPI has provided a comprehensive review of the Trump administration’s 50 most egregious attacks on working people. Below are just a few of the ways the Trump administration has harmed workers:
- Failure to adequately address the economic shock of the coronavirus.
- Failure to protect the health of workers during the pandemic.
- Attacks on workers’ wages, including preventing millions of workers from receiving overtime and blocking a minimum wage increase.
- Undermining workers’ collective bargaining rights, including obstructing workers’ rights to fair union elections.
- Putting forward anti-worker nominees for Department of Labor and National Labor Relations Board positions. Read the report »
|
|
EPI Director of Government Affairs Celine McNicholas explains how Trump’s National Labor Relations Board—already unprecedented in its anti-worker rulemaking—has now adopted every single policy on the top 10 wish list of the largest corporate lobbying group in the United of States, the Chamber of Commerce. Watch the video »
|
|
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 mitigate only part of the pay penalty. EPI President Thea Lee moderated a discussion featuring National Education Association President Becky Pringle; the report’s authors, Lawrence Mishel and Sylvia Allegretto; and Shawna Mott-Wright, teacher and president of the Tulsa Classroom Teachers Association. The speakers shared findings from the report, delved into the history of teacher pay, and assessed the impact of the persistent pay inequity. Watch the event »
|
|
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. EPI hosted 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. Watch the video »
|
|
Share this newsletter:
Why Black, Hispanic, and young workers should get out to vote
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|