News, Ohio December 23, 2016

Democrats, not Republicans, Killed $15 in Cleveland

Earlier this year, the SEIU attempted to ram through a proposal in Cleveland to raise that city’s minimum wage by 85 percent to $15. The Cleveland City Council, consisting of 16 Democrats and 1 Green Party member, overwhelmingly rejected the…
December 15, 2016

As The Ball Drops, The Minimum Wage Rises In 42 States and Municipalities

  With January 1, 2017 around the corner, 42 states and municipalities are poised to ring in the New Year with extreme minimum wage increases.  Nineteen states are raising their starter…
December 5, 2016

Discredited Berkeley Team Again Praises Wage Hikes

Earlier this year, the Albany Times-Union explored the cozy relationship between labor unions and a research outfit at the University of California-Berkeley. The Berkeley team–which is partially funded by and works closely with organized labor–is often called upon when a favorable report is needed on the impacts of a rising…
News November 29, 2016

New Faces of $15 Documentaries Showcase Real Victims of Fight for $15

As another round of coordinated minimum wage protests occur, the consequences of dramatic starter wage increases — including lost jobs, reduced hours, and business closures — are playing out in real time. EPI has been documenting these consequences through its project Faces of $15 and has released four new mini-documentaries featuring these victims.
November 10, 2016

Out-of-State Donors Max Out for Minimum Wage

While the success of minimum wage ballot measures this election cycle might suggest a renaissance in state grassroots passion, a closer look at the financing of the associated ballot committees reveals an out-of-state funding apparatus. Arizona, Maine, and Colorado saw an ocean-sized inflow of out-of-state cash to fund their pro-hike committees…
Maine October 21, 2016

Local Voices in Maine Speak Out Against Extreme Wage Hike

The debate over whether to raise Maine’s minimum wage by 60 percent (and raise its tipped minimum wage by over 200 percent) is a study in contrasts. On the one side, advocates for the extreme wage increase have been powered by five- and six-figure checks flooding in from out-of-state donors. We previously…
Maine October 11, 2016

“Mainers for Fair Wages” Funded by Out-of-State Cash

In the pantheon of PAC names, “Mainers for Fair Wages” must rank among the least offensive in American electoral history. However, their benign name hides that which their campaign finance disclosure forms reveal: “Mainers for Fair Wages” is fueled by out-of-state money. EPI analyzed data from the Maine Ethics Commission…
September 9, 2016

New Ad: $12 Minimum Wage Chops Rungs Off Career Ladder

Over Labor Day weekend, calls for an increase in the minimum wage reached a fever pitch. Labor Secretary Thomas Perez joined with labor groups in an attempt to shame politicians that do not support a federal wage hike. Our latest ad, which ran on Thursday in the St. Louis Post Dispatch,…
New Jersey August 24, 2016

How a $15 Minimum Wage Will Change New Jersey

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie is currently deciding whether or not to sign a $15 minimum wage into law, and the Employment Policies Institute today released a new commercial that should help him make his decision. Earlier this year, EPI released an analysis by Drs. David Macpherson of Trinity…
Connecticut August 19, 2016

“Everybody” Did Not Benefit From Connecticut’s Paid Sick Leave Law

A new study released by the Employment Policies Institute, authored by Dr. Thomas Ahn of the University of Kentucky, finds that Connecticut’s paid sick leave law hasn’t delivered on its proponents’ promise that “everybody benefits.” Instead, the evidence from Connecticut suggests that the mandate actually reduced work hours for…