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Minimum Wage Madness: 42 Different State and Local Wage Hikes Ring in the New Year: Mind-boggling patchwork of minimum wage increases; 14 different rates in New York State, 13 different increases in California
December 2016
Washington D.C. – Today the Employment Policies Institute (EPI) is highlighting the 42 state and local minimum wage increases taking place on either December 31st or January 1st. Nineteen states are raising their starter wages on New Year’s Day, with Arizona (24 percent increase), Maine (20 percent), and Washington state (16 percent) having the dubious distinction of the largest increases. Twenty-three localities, including 12 cities in California, are also… -
New Polling Data Finds One-Quarter of Question 4 Supporters Didn’t Know It Would Eliminate Tip Credit: 60 percent of voters say they wouldn’t oppose Maine legislature fixing tip credit portion of law
December 2016
Washington D.C. – Today the Employment Policies Institute (EPI) released new polling data about Maine voters’ knowledge of Election Day’s Minimum Wage ballot measure, Question 4. The poll, conducted with Google’s Consumer Survey tool of 500 Maine residents who voted on the ballot measure, found that one-quarter of “yes” voters did not understand that it also eliminated the tip credit, raising the base wage for tipped employees… -
University of Kentucky Study Suggests Gov. Larry Hogan’s Paid Sick Leave Proposal Would Reduce Hours, Income for Young Employees: Study examines Connecticut’s first-in-the-nation paid sick leave policy, cautionary conclusions for Maryland
December 2016
Washington D.C. – Today, the Employment Policies Institute (EPI) is highlighting a study by Dr. Thomas Ahn of the University of Kentucky examining the effects of Connecticut’s first-in-the-nation state paid sick leave policy passed in 2011. In the most robust and extensive analysis of the policy to date, Dr. Ahn analyzes the data available thus far and concludes that the policy reduced the number of hours worked by young employees.… -
New York City Restrictive Scheduling Bill Would Reduce Job Flexibility and Opportunities: Separate "Worker Empowerment" Bill Creates Deceptive Plan for Collecting Union Dues from Fast Food Employees
December 2016
Washington D.C. – Today, the Employment Policies Institute (EPI) criticized the New York City Council’s inflexible work scheduling bill and “Worker Empowerment” labor union organizing bill, both of which are being introduced today. Among other provisions, the curiously-named Fair Work Week bill would require fast food employers to post shift schedules at least two weeks in advance and pay a penalty for any subsequent changes. The bill… -
Faces of $15: Small Businesses and People They Employ are Real Victims of Minimum Wage Movement: New documentaries showcase lost jobs, reduced hours, and business closures from dramatic starter wage increases
November 2016
Washington D.C. – Today, the Employment Policies Institute (EPI) released four new mini-documentaries featuring victims of dramatic minimum wage increases. As another round of coordinated minimum wage protests occur tomorrow, 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. The stories featured in… -
Minimum wage ballot measures funded by out-of-state money crush local small businesses: Minimum wage appears to have little impact on Senate races
November 2016
Washington D.C. – Ballot measures in Maine, Colorado, Arizona, and Washington to dramatically raise the starter wage appear to have passed. An EPI analysis of campaign finance data shows that this outcome is likely the result of a flood of money from labor unions and labor-backed organizations, much of it from out of state. That money overwhelmed small businesses’ warnings that many entry-level jobs would be destroyed…