Videos

😛 Turns out, if we can triple America's union membership, many elements of our economy will thrive!

😛 In the latest episode of Policy for the People, we talk with Jennifer Sherer about the recent report she and her colleagues at the Economic Policy Institute wrote titled “The Case for Tripling Union Membership.”

Listen here: https://bit.ly/4gbdW6f
@epi.org #orpol #orleg @economicpolicy

What would happen if the United States tripled the share of workers who belong to unions?

In this episode of Policy for the People, we talk with Jennifer Sherer of the Economic Policy Institute about the case for dramatically expanding union membership—and what stronger unions could mean for workers and the economy.

Today, about 10% of U.S. wage and salary workers belong to a union, even though surveys show nearly half of workers want a union. Sherer explains how decades of weakened labor laws and anti-union policies have eroded workers’ bargaining power—and contributed to stagnant wages and rising inequality.

According to EPI’s analysis, tripling union density could, among other things
--Raise the average worker’s pay by about 14.5%, or roughly $7,700 a year
--Shift an estimated $1.2 trillion annually toward workers
--Reverse about one-third of the increase in inequality since 1979

Sherer also explains why union density varies dramatically from state to state, how so-called “right-to-work” laws weaken unions, and what states and Congress could do to make it easier for workers to organize—including reforms proposed in the PRO Act.

The conversation explores a central question: Could rebuilding union power help address the biggest economic challenges facing working people today?

Read EPI’s report The Case for Tripling Union Membership: https://www.epi.org/publication/the-case-for-tripling-union-membership-how-rebuilding-union-power-would-strengthen-workers-the-economy-and-our-democracy/

As the United States approaches its 250th anniversary, what kind of country do we want to become?

In this episode of Policy for the People, we speak with Taifa Butler, President of Demos, about the challenges facing American democracy and the need for a "Third Reconstruction."

We explore the connection between economic power and political power, the role of worker power in a healthy democracy, the enduring impact of racism and the racial wealth divide, and why America's democratic institutions are at a critical crossroads. Butler argues that the nation must move beyond incremental reforms and embrace a more expansive vision of citizenship, democracy, and shared prosperity.

At a time when democracy faces mounting challenges, this conversation offers both a clear-eyed assessment of the present and a hopeful vision for the future.

#Democracy #EconomicJustice #Reconstruction #PolicyForThePeople #TaifaButler #Demos #EconomicInequality #WorkerPower #CivilRights #MultiracialDemocracy #America250 #Politics #PublicPolicy #OregonCenterforPublicPolicy