In 2015, Wisconsin debated a “right to work” law aimed at weakening private sector unions and lowering wages, in the hopes of luring outside manufacturers to move into the state. This report provides a detailed analysis both of the national data showing that “right to work” laws fail to spur employment growth and examining the particular economic bases of the Wisconsin state economy to show that these would not be positively affected by such a law….
Numerous states have debated or adopted laws that create special school districts, where low-performing public schools are taken over by the state and converted into privately-run charter schools. This report provides a comprehensive assessment of school takeover strategies that end up forcing a dumbed-down version of education on poor families instead of providing the funding that could guarantee them the same quality education that suburban parents insist on for their own children….
Many Oregonians are working hard but not getting ahead, and families across Oregon are struggling to make ends meet. At the same time, the country’s largest corporations are reporting record profits. In the “High Cost of Low Wages,” we share new research about Oregon ‘s low-wage workers and document the impact their low-wage jobs have on their lives….
This paper explores the growing recognition of workplace bullying and mobbing in the U.S. and Canada, highlighting the challenges of translating consensus into effective policies that balance the interests of employees, employers, and unions. It offers guidance for advocates and arbitrators by reviewing definitions, impacts, policy language, and arbitration cases, with a primary focus on U.S. examples and limited Canadian applicability due to structural differences….
This report examines how state legislatures nationwide have advanced efforts to weaken wages, labor standards, and workplace protections, particularly for non-union workers. It highlights how these initiatives align with broader attacks on unionized employees’ rights. By tracing the spread of similar bills across states, the report reveals that these efforts often stem not from local economic needs, but from a coordinated national agenda driven by corporate interests seeking to reduce labor costs and erode worker protections….
In many states, legislators have been encouraged to support so-called “Paycheck Protection” legislation. Such bills prohibit unions from deducting members’ dues without annual written authorization from each member – on the basis that unions may be engaged in political activity and workers should not be forced to contribute to those activities without their individual approval. This report is the definitive study showing what’s wrong with such laws….
This study is an extension of two previous studies conducted by the Labor Education and Research Center that examined the transfer of school support services to private operation in the state of Oregon. The focus of this study is on student transportation services, which has perhaps become the most active arena for contracting out within school districts….
Unfortunately for Oklahomans, so-called “right-to-work” never delivered on its promise. The law was promoted as a strategy for boosting manufacturing employment by convincing out-of-state production facilities to relocate to Oklahoma. Yet the facts show the exact opposite of what right-to-work supporters predicted. Not only has manufacturing employment failed to rise in Oklahoma, but, after increasing steadily the previous ten years, it has fallen steadily since….