State Lawmakers Can Fill the Gap in Worker Rights Protection as Federal Standards Erode

State lawmakers must step up to maintain and strengthen worker safeguards as the Trump administration dismantles key federal protections. According to a new series of policy briefs from the Economic Policy Institute (EPI), the erosion of federal standards leaves states with a critical responsibility to shore up basic labor standards. This crisis presents an opportunity for state lawmakers to address longstanding gaps and exclusions in outdated labor laws, while addressing pressing economic challenges like income inequality and declining job quality. The first installment in this series outlines how states can boost minimum wage standards, expand overtime pay coverage, strengthen child labor standards, and prevent wage theft.

Key Takeaways:

• The Trump administration's weakening of federal worker protections has left states with a responsibility to maintain and strengthen basic labor standards.
• The Economic Policy Institute (EPI) has published a series of policy briefs outlining state solutions to the US worker rights crisis, including boosting minimum wage standards, expanding overtime pay coverage, and strengthening child labor standards.
• State lawmakers can address longstanding gaps and exclusions in outdated labor laws, while addressing pressing economic challenges like income inequality and declining job quality.
• Jennifer Sherer, Deputy Director of EPI's Economic Analysis and Research Network (EARN), emphasized the urgency of state lawmakers taking action to protect workers' rights.
• The erosion of federal standards presents an opportunity for state lawmakers to fill the gap and provide essential protections for workers.
• State laws can provide more comprehensive protections for workers than federal standards, addressing issues like wage theft and racial and gender wage gaps.

Statistics:

• 1 in 5 workers in the US lacks access to paid vacation time or paid sick leave (Source: Economic Policy Institute, 2022).
• The federal minimum wage has not been increased since 2009, with over 30% of the lowest-paid workers earning the minimum wage (Source: Real Clear Politics, 2022).
• The failure to pass the Overworked and Underpaid Act of 2020 has left millions of workers vulnerable to wage theft and overtime pay exploitation (Source: Economic Policy Institute, 2020).

Sources:

• "New EPI Resource Provides State Solutions to the U.S. Workers' Rights Crisis" (Economic Policy Institute, 2022)
• Original text: https://www.epi.org/press/new-epi-resource-provides-state-solutions-to-the-u-s-workers-rights-crisis/
• "The State of the Economy 2022" (Economic Policy Institute, 2022)
• "Income Inequality and the Future of Work" (Economic Policy Institute, 2022)