So-Called “Right-to-Work” Laws and Janus Decision Have Eroded Job Quality of In-Demand Jobs  La Grange, IL: States that protect collective bargaining rights have higher average worker earnings, experience faster wage growth, and have added union members since 2013, according to … Continue reading STUDY: States that Protect Collective Bargaining Are Gaining Union Members and Raising Worker Earnings

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

La Grange, IL:  Over the past six years, funding for Indiana’s state and local transportation projects has increased by $1.2 billion annually, the percentage of the state’s road miles considered in “good” condition has nearly doubled, and its percentage of … Continue reading Study Links Significant Improvements in Indiana Road Conditions with New Laws that Increased Funding for Transportation Projects

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.

Continue reading “Workers’ Rights Amendment was Bipartisan and Outperformed Democrats in Rural and White Working-Class Communities”

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. 

Continue reading “NEW REPORT: Vital Need for Local Hire Provisions to Maximize Value on Infrastructure Projects”

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

La Grange:  Rising fuel efficiency standards and putting one million electric vehicles on the road over the next decade is projected to reduce the motor fuel tax revenues that Illinois would otherwise collect to support state and federal transportation projects … Continue reading STUDY: More Electric Vehicles for Illinois and Higher Fuel Economy Standards Could Mean $4 Billion LESS for Transportation Projects Over Next Decade

La Grange, IL: Illinois women and children realize vastly superior economic and health outcomes compared to the 20 U.S. states that either have or are expected to implement bans on abortion services, according to new research conducted by the Illinois … Continue reading New Study Links Reproductive Healthcare Rights with Improved Economic and Health Outcomes for Illinois’ Women and Children

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.