Labor Day is about celebrating the achievements of the men and women who built our great country. But for the last four decades, stagnant wages and the erosion of unions and collective bargaining have contributed to growing income inequality in America.
Now, EPI has released a study that, for the first time, documents how the wage decline for nonunion workers can be directly attributed to the decline of unions in the United States. In fact, for the 32.9 million full-time nonunion private-sector women and 40.2 million full-time private-sector men, there is a $133 billion loss in annual wages because of weakened unions.
Click here to read EPI’s new report, “Union decline lowers wages of nonunion workers: The overlooked reason why wages are stuck and inequality is growing.” (http://www.epi.org/…/union-decline-lowers-wages-of-nonuni…/…)
This week in Warren, Ohio, Vice President Joe Biden praised the new report:
“The Economic Policy Institute just put out a 57 page report that wonks like me end up reading... Here’s the conclusion of the paper: If organized labor was as strong today as it was in 1979, the whole country would be doing better.”
Click here to watch Vice President Joe Biden discuss how strong unions raise the wages of all workers. Then share this video on Facebook to help educate family and friends on the positive impact of unions. (https://www.facebook.com/EconomicPolicy/videos/10154408120656668/?mc_cid=c06580f347&mc_eid=5052467e8d)
According to Jake Rosenfeld, the report’s lead author:
“Rebuilding collective bargaining is one of the tools we have to reinvigorate wage growth for low- and middle-wage workers.”
According to EPI President Lawrence Mishel:
“Unions have functioned to raise the wages of all workers, union and nonunion. The erosion of collective bargaining has clearly taken a huge toll on nonunion wages in the United States, and is a major factor in the wage stagnation of the last four decades.”
Together, let’s celebrate Labor Day by fighting to strengthen collective bargaining and raise the wages of all workers.
Thank you,
Liz Rose
Communications Director, EPI
VICE PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN'S LABOR DAY MESSAGE HERE!:
https://www.facebook.com/EconomicPolicy/vi... SPREAD THE NEWS! SPREA THE NEWS! HAPPY LABOR DAY!
Posted By: agnes levine
Monday, September 5th 2016 at 10:25AM
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