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In a new EPI report, Lawrence Mishel and Celine McNicholas warn that Uber drivers and similar gig workers are effectively being robbed of the right to engage in collective action by a federal agency’s advice memo. The memo, by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) General Counsel’s office, misclassifies Uber drivers as independent contractors, claiming that drivers’ control over their work and their “entrepreneurial freedom” means they are not employees with labor rights. Mishel and McNicholas articulate the many ways that the memo misstates the realities of Uber driving. As just one example, Uber drivers have no opportunities to increase revenues by controlling prices or expanding their customer base. Read the report »
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Uber drivers are not independent contractors
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A new concept of “fiscal responsibility” needs to be embraced, one in which full employment and equitable distribution in the economy become primary goals of fiscal policy, writes EPI’s Josh Bivens in a new report. When policymakers are excessively scared of deficits and ignore these other goals, they will be constrained in responding to recessions and addressing income inequality, says Bivens. Too much restraint can do real harm to working families, he warns. In this report, Bivens provides a close analysis of the economic theory underlying deficit spending and the relationship between deficit spending and the health of the economy. Read the report »
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The Trump-appointed National Labor Relations Board recently proposed a rule that would take away the rights of graduate teaching assistants and other student employees to organize and collectively bargain for better wages and working conditions, according to a blog post by EPI’s Celine McNicholas. The board ignores the fact that universities have increasingly shifted teaching duties away from tenured or tenure-track faculty and onto graduate teaching assistants and contingent faculty, while paying these workers dramatically less than what tenured faculty receive—the average salary of a graduate teaching assistant was $35,810 in 2015–2016. Union-represented graduate student employees have reported receiving more professional support and higher pay than non-union-represented students. Members of the public are invited to submit comments on the board’s proposal here. Read the blog post »
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Self-care alone cannot solve the problem of burnout in the workplace, according to EPI’s Kayla Blado, who spoke with the host of The State of Things. Systemic issues that lead to burnout require collective action. By forming a union, colleagues can work together to address these systemic issues. | Embodied Series: Breaking the Burnout Cycle
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EPI Research Associate Elaine Weiss discussed strategies for meeting the needs of students experiencing poverty, particularly in rural communities, in an op-ed for the Phi Delta Kappan journal, citing her work as the former national coordinator of the Broader, Bolder Approach to Education, launched by EPI. | Tailoring Integrated Student Supports to Rural Contexts
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Who is squelching the rights of Uber drivers?
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