Thank you again for your recent donation to EPI during the summer tote bag promotion. With the support of donors like you, EPI has been taking steps to maximize our in house capacity and ensure we stretch the resources you have entrusted to us as far as we can.
- Under the leadership of President Thea Mei Lee and EARN Director Naomi Walker, EPI hired Jaimie Worker to serve as Senior State Policy Coordinator, working directly with our grassroots partners to ensure we are getting our research and analysis into the hands of the organizers that need it most to help them pursue policies that support working families.
- We have hired a new economist, Jhacova Williams, to expand the capacity of our program on Race, Ethnicity and the Economy led by Valerie Wilson. William’s research explores the role of structural racism in shaping racial economic disparities in labor markets, housing, criminal justice, higher education, and other areas that have a direct impact on economic outcomes.
These are just some of the moves EPI is making to ensure we provide the economic research and analysis to support strengthening worker power in the pursuit of economic justice. We greatly appreciate your support. Thank you.
Help us keep you informed on our progress by providing feedback on the EPI issues that interest you the most.
Selections of EPI’s latest research and analysis made possible by donors like you
- How well is the American economy working for working people? EPI researchers reflect on the state of labor in the United States
- Black workers endure persistent racial disparities in employment outcomes
August 27, 2019 • By Jhacova Williams and Valerie Wilson • Report - Wage growth is being held back by political decisions and the Trump administration is on the wrong side of key debates
August 27, 2019 • By Josh Bivens • Report - It’s the beginning of the school year and teachers are once again opening up their wallets to buy school supplies
August 22, 2019 • By Emma García
Highlights from EPI’s November 2018 Research • Power • Justice reception
On November 14, 2018, EPI hosted a fundraising reception to share our vision for the next chapter in our history. The Research • Power • Justice Reception marked several institutional milestones:
- The 10th anniversary of EPI’s Program on Race, Ethnicity and the Economy (PREE)
- The 20th anniversary of our Economic Analysis and Research Network (EARN)
- Our 32nd year in operation and first under the leadership of new President Thea Mei Lee.
Nearly 200 guests attended and heard inspirational speeches from leaders working at the forefront of the movement to restore power for working people. Video clips of these speeches appear below.
EPI President Thea Mei Lee opened the evening with a brief history of why EPI is essential to the worker movement and how EPI is evolving to better support our mission in a changing world.
Katie Endicott, a West Virginia teacher, reflected on how she and her fellow teachers stood up for their fellow workers and students when they went on strike this year to demand a living wage and benefits.
Mixed Martial Arts fighter and Project Spearhead founder Leslie Smith shared her experience working to organize her fellow fighters and force the Ultimate Fighting Championship, a multi-billion dollar company, to classify its fighters as employees instead of independent contractors and pay a fair wage and health benefits. The UFC dropped Smith from its roster, but she is not backing down and will keep fighting for what she and her fellow fighters deserve. In April 2019 Smith signed with the rival Bellator league while continuing to fight for union representation for MMA fighters.
The Reverend William Barber II closed the evening reflecting on our fight for economic justice and the soul of the nation. He spoke beautifully about how we need to work together to protect all members of our society, including the rights of all citizens to vote.
Leaders like Endicott, Smith, and Barber make clear the reason EPI engages in research and works to get it in the hands of activists and lawmakers who can make it real. For too long, ordinary Americans have missed out on the gains of a growing economy. This wasn’t an accident. Policy choices allowed the rich to capture much more than their fair share of American income growth. It will take a bold and comprehensive policy agenda to restore balance and ensure that prosperity is broadly shared.