Chicago, IL: Workers at Illinois’ public universities are earning between 14% and 25% less than their counterparts employed directly by state government agencies, according to a first-of-its-kind study released by the Project for Middle Class Renewal (PMCR) at the University … Continue reading STUDY: Workers at Illinois’ Public Universities Earn Significantly Less than Peers in State Government

While Unionization Rates Continue to Fall, Researchers Contend that Job Growth in New Industries and Rising Public Sector Staff Vacancies Driving National Trends La Grange: Last year, as the number of union members in the U.S. workforce grew for the … Continue reading REPORT: Illinois Sees Surge in New Organizing Petitions, and Union Membership Grew Nationally for First Time Since 2017

County-Level Support Driven by Union Members, Military Veterans, Households with Children, and Households with Middle-Class Incomes

Chicago, IL: The Workers’ Rights Amendment passed in November 2022 with bipartisan support, driven by union members, military veterans, and households with middle-class incomes—according to a new political analysis conducted by the Project for Middle Class Renewal (PMCR) at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and the Illinois Economic Policy Institute (ILEPI).

Read the study, How the Workers’ Rights Amendment Passed in Illinois: A Political Analysis here.

Andy Warhol Bridge Project Study Underscores Vital Need for Local Hire Provisions to Maximize Value for Pennsylvania on Infrastructure Projects  

Press Release originally sent by the Keystone Research Center on February 16, 2023.

Pittsburgh, PA: Over the next five years, Pennsylvania will roll out an estimated $36.8 billion in state and federal transportation infrastructure with additional federal investments in climate infrastructure and U.S. manufacturing. Maximizing the benefits of these investments for Pennsylvania’s communities will require strong labor and local hiring standards, leading to good jobs for highly skilled construction workers in Pennsylvania. 

La Grange, IL:  Montana’s construction workers have higher job quality, are more likely to complete apprenticeship training, and deliver superior safety outcomes than those in neighboring states due to the state’s prevailing wage law, according to new research by the … Continue reading NEW STUDY: Montana Wage Law Strengthens Economy, Boosts Safety and Skilled Labor Supply For Construction Projects

La Grange, IL: A survey of more than 500 Chicago area drivers for rideshare and delivery apps reveals that 62% of drivers work more than 30 hours per week, 41% earn less than $15 per hour, 40% are either uninsured … Continue reading SURVEY: Chicago Gig Drivers Face Low Earnings and High Health and Safety Risks, and 9-in-10 Say Drivers Should Have the Right to Unionize

Between 2015 and 2018, Six States Eliminated Minimum Standards for Skilled Trades Workers La Grange, IL: Six states that repealed their prevailing wage laws between 2015 and 2018 have experienced slower construction employment, decreased wage growth, lower workforce productivity growth, … Continue reading STUDY: Repeals of State Prevailing Wage Laws Have Cost Workers, Taxpayers, & the Construction Industry

As COVID-19 Impacted Workers and the Economy, New Analysis Looks Back and Details which Workers Were Most Likely Out of Illinois’ Workforce    La Grange, IL: Between 2019 and 2021, total employment in Illinois shrank by a total of 4% (251,000 … Continue reading REPORT: Illinois Lost 250,000 Workers from 2019 to 2021. Here’s Who They Were.

Illinois is just the fifth state to produce $1 trillion in annualized economic activity. La Grange, IL: With data showing that Illinois now produces $1 trillion in annualized economic activity, a new study from the nonpartisan Illinois Economic Policy Institute … Continue reading Illinois Now Has a $1 Trillion Economy

Membership Declined Over Past Decade; New Organizing Occurring Most for Women and Young Workers; Military Veterans and African American Workers Most Likely to Be Union Members La Grange, IL: Last year, the number of workers who are union members in … Continue reading REPORT: Illinois’ Union Membership Grew Last Year for First Time Since 2017