Economic Policy Institute

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In 2018, Michigan voters clearly supported eliminating the tipped minimum wage, but were undermined by Republican lawmakers. Today's Michigan lawmakers should maintain the court-ordered path and eliminate the tipped minimum wage the way voters wanted. epi.org/blog/conservat…

Hickey is testifying against proposed legislation that would weaken pay increases for Michigan’s nearly 100,000 tipped workers. With the currently slated increases, full-time tipped workers could earn $6,700 more a year through 2028. epi.org/blog/conservat…

After a 7 yr legal battle, MI is finally increasing its minimum wage & starting to phase out the subminimum wage for tipped workers. But lawmakers are trying to undermine the increases for tipped workers. EPI's Hickey will testify today to support eliminating the tipped min wage

Lawmakers can actually help tipped workers by raising the minimum wage and phasing out the tipped minimum wage.

⚠️ “No tax on tips” will help very few workers and is a distraction from policies that actually benefit workers. Proposals in Congress & 20 states could encourage harmful employer practices & lead to tip requests in virtually every consumer transaction: epi.org/blog/no-tax-on…

Today, Black patients are overrepresented in needing ambulance and emergency medical services while underrepresented in the EMT workforce. Occupational segregation remains a challenge with serious implications for the quality of healthcare Black people receive.

Freedom House shut down after 8 years due to pressure from city leaders, but its legacy is an example of Black communities coming together to provide health care services and create solutions to combat institutional racism and neglect.

In this week's Black History Month Spotlight, let's talk about the Freedom House Ambulance Service 🚑 The first ambulance service in the world, Freedom House (founded in 1967) provided emergency care and hospital transportation to Black residents in Pittsburgh's Hill district.

Want to know about steel and aluminum tariffs specifically? Here's what we said in 2021 about the first Trump administration's actions: Steel: epi.org/publication/wh… Aluminum: epi.org/publication/al…

💭 Have questions about tariffs but don't know where to start? Our economists explained everything you need to know (but were afraid to ask): epi.org/publication/ta…

🤧 Paid sick leave improves workers’ health AND the economy 📈 New evidence shows that paid sick leave mandates support employment for women and increase work hours for low-wage workers whose employers are less likely to voluntarily provide sick leave. epi.org/blog/paid-sick…

Want more updates? Subscribe to our daily Federal Policy Watch email, where we document all policies relevant to working people and the economy: mailchi.mp/epi/federal-po…

This week, Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) attacked the federal workforce and government services. Read more about DOGE's reckless, illegal, and unconstitutional actions at EPI's Federal Policy Watch: epi.org/blog/this-week…

BSCP was an early example of the link between the labor movement and the civil rights movement. As BSCP shows, labor unions are an excellent tool to protect the most vulnerable workers.

Led by labor organizer and civil rights activist A. Philip Randolph, BSCP aimed to improve the working conditions and treatment of African American railroad porters and housekeepers employed by the Pullman Company.

This year's Black History Month theme is African Americans & Labor, so let's talk about the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters (BSCP)! 2025 marks the 100 yrs since the founding of BSCP, the first predominantly Black union to be recognized by the American Federation of Labor 🧵