Podcast 15: A View from Low-Wage America – How Work Supports Help Fill the Gaps for Low-Wage Families

This podcast features a new report by the Center for Economic and Policy Research and the Center for Policy at the University of Massachusetts, Boston entitled “Bridging the Gaps: A Picture of How Work Supports Work in Ten States.” Dr. Heather Boushey, senior economist at the Center for Economic and Policy Research, discusses how work supports such as child care assistance, the Earned Income Tax Credit and food stamps help fill the gaps for low-wage families.

To view the report, please visit the Bridging the Gaps Web site at: http://www.bridgingthegaps.org/publications/nationalreport.pdf

Dr. Heather Boushey can be reached at (202) 293-5380 ext. 116 or hboushey@cepr.net

Wednesday, October 10 , 2007
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Duration: 05:00
File Size: 2 MB

Podcast 14: A View from Low-Wage America - On Labor Day Job Quality Cited As key to Poverty Reduction

This new podcast cites a special Labor Day report by the Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP) authored by researcher Elizabeth Lower-Basch. Ms. Lower-Basch makes the argument that improving job quality is the key to reducing poverty.

The new report, embargoed for release until Labor Day, can be obtained by going to the CLASP Web site at (The full report is at: http://www.clasp.org/publications/oaw_paper1_full.pdf, the executive summary is at: http://www.clasp.org/publications/oaw_paper1_es.pdf).

In addition, Ms. Lower-Basch can be contacted by calling (202) 906-8013.

Friday, August 31, 2007
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Duration: 06:10
File Size: 3 MB

Podcast 13: A View from Low-Wage America - Washington State 2nd State to Provide Paid Family Leave

Washington State is the second state after California to enact paid family leave legislation. Dr. Marilyn Watkins of the Seattle-based Economic Opportunity Institute comments on this innovative new law in a 5-minute podcast. A fact sheet on the Washington State law can be obtained at http://www.eoionline.org/FamilyLeave/WashingtonFamilyLeaveProgram.pdf. Background information on other state based and national efforts to achieve paid family leave can be accessed at http://www.lowwagework.org/researchandreports.htm#13a

Dr. Watkins can be contacted at (206) 529-6370 or at marilyn@eoionline.org

Tuesday, May 8, 2007
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Duration: 04:58
File Size: 2 MB

Podcast 12: A View from Low-Wage America -Understanding Low-Wage Work
Margy Waller, Director of the Mobility Agenda in Washington, DC, talks about a new study she co-authored entitled “Understanding Low-Wage Work in America.” She notes that one-in-three employees in the U.S. are low-wage workers. Frequently, low-wage workers are without paid sick days, health benefits, retirement savings accounts, and have no vacation time. This new report from Inclusion's Mobility Agenda provides a clear and sobering picture of the low-wage labor market.

Ms. Waller can be contacted at (202) 339-9372 or waller@inclusionist.org

Monday, April 16, 2007
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Duration: 05:57
File Size: 1 MB

Podcast 11: A View from Low-Wage America -Healthy Families Act
On March 13 the Healthy Families Act was introduced in Congress. This proposed new federal labor standard would require employers with 15 or more employees to provide seven paid sick days per year for workers to care for themselves and their families’ medical needs. Currently, 48 percent of all American workers do not have a single day of paid sick leave. More than three fourths of low-wage workers do not have a single day of paid sick leave. Forty-seven percent of women working in the private sector have no paid sick days. Deven McGraw, Chief Operating Officer of the National Partnership for Women & Families explains the need for paid sick leave.

Tuesday, March 13, 2007
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Duration: 04:55
File Size: 2 MB

Podcast 10: A View from Low-Wage America - The New Congress & Legislation for Low-Wage Workers
Beth Shulman, author of The Betrayal of Work, talks about what the new 110th Congress needs to do to provide a real improvement to the lives of millions of low-wage workers, including raising the minimum wage.

Wednesday, January 3, 2006
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Duration: 06:38
File Size: 3 MB

Podcast 9: A View from Low-Wage America - Minimum Wage and the 2006 Elections
This podcast features Jen Kern of the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) discussing the six successful state ballot initiatives and upcoming federal legislation.

Friday, December 1, 2006
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Duration: 06:22
File Size: 2 MB

Podcast 8: A View from Low-Wage America - Supporting Entry-Level, Hourly Employees
The Families and Work Institute (FWI) has released a series of reports that include some of the most comprehensive analysis to date of the demographics and working situations of entry-level, hourly workers. The reports debunk common assumptions about the low-wage workforce and reveal how employers can improve productivity and retention of this segment of the workforce. Ellen Galinsky, President of FWI is featured in this 5-minute podcast.

Friday, November 1, 2006
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Duration: 04:45
File Size: 1 MB

Podcast 7: A View from Low-Wage America - The State of Working America
This podcast features Jared Bernstien, Economic Policy Institute (EPI) Senior Economist discussing the recently released annual EPI report, The State of Working America 2006/2007.

Friday, September 1, 2006
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Duration: 04:20
File Size: 2 MB

Podcast 6: A View from Low-Wage America - The Campaign for Children's Health Care
This podcast features Ron Pollack of Families USA, Sister Carol Keehan of the Catholic Health Association and Dr. Eileen Oullette of the American Academy of Pediatrics. The podcast, along with a new Catholic Health Association poll on children’s health coverage is issued concurrent with the formation of the Campaign for America’s Children. The object of this campaign is to advocate in a nonpartisan way for comprehensive, high quality, affordable health care for all children. Currently, nine million children in this country are uninsured.

Monday, July 10, 2006
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Duration: 05:21
File Size: 3 MB

Podcast 5: A View from Low-Wage America - Using the Family Resource Simulator to Make Work Supports Work
This podcast features Dr. Nancy Cauthen, Deputy Director of the National Center for Children in Poverty (NCCP). Dr. Cauthen discusses a new NCCP initiative for low-wage employees entitled “Making Work Supports Work." She notes that, ironically, as workers move up the economic ladder in terms of wages, many work supports, such as the earned income tax credit (EITC), child care subsidies, health care coverage, housing assistance and food stamps are eliminated—again reducing household incomes. The end result is a net economic loss for many low-wage earners and their families.

Monday, June 19, 2006
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Duration: 04:39
File Size: 3 MB

Podcast 4: A View from Low-Wage America - The Minimum Wage Drive in the States
Twenty states have raised their minimum wage above the federal standard last set in 1997. And, Arizona, Colorado, Ohio and Missouri will have ballot initiatives in their state to raise the minimum wage statewide. Finally, about a dozen other states are attempting to raise their state-based minmum wage this year. Jen Kern of the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now(ACORN) explains the nationwide minimum wage movement.

Thursday, June 1, 2006
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Duration: 05:23
File Size: 3 MB

Podcast 3: A View from Low-Wage America - The Need for Paid Sick Leave
A new study on work and family policies shows that the United States lags behind much of the world by having no paid sick leave policies for workers. Dr. Jody Heymann and Debra Ness explain why paid sick leave is essential for low-wage workers in the U.S.

Monday, March 20, 2006
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Duration: 04:26
File Size: 2.1 MB

Podcast 2: A View from Low-Wage America - The Earned Income Tax Credit Toolkit
Low-wage employees are missing out on federal benefits because they are not filing for tax credits worth $1,000s. Corporate Voices For Working Families' EITC toolkit gives companies the tools to help employees access these benefits.

Tuesday, February 28, 2006
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Duration: 03:34
File Size: 2 MB

Podcast 1: A View from Low-wage America: The Growing Income Gap Between the top and the bottom of America's Economic Layer Cake
The Economic Policy Institute (EPI) and the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities recently released a national and 50-state report showing that the gap between the highest-income families and low-wage and middle-income families grew significantly between the early 1980’s and the early 2000’s. The report suggests that in 2003 the gap began growing again. Thus, it appears that the two-decades-long trend of worsening inequality has resumed in recent years.

The Fairness Initiative on Low-Wage Work (www.lowwagework.org) is offering a three-minute podcast for reporters on its Web site. The podcast features Jared Bernstein, Senior Economist at EPI.

Monday, February 6, 2006
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Duration: 03:49
File Size: 1.4 MB

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