Reports & Articles
Testimony on HB 1356, Establishing minimum standards for sick and safe leave from employment, Before the House Labor Committee, January 26, 2015, by Marilyn P. Watkins Thank you for the opportunity to submit testimony in favor of House Bill 1356, establishing minimum standards for sick and safe leave from employment. No one should be forced […]
The need for health professionals has increased dramatically in recent years, putting the nursing profession at a crossroads. Washington is no exception, facing a looming shortage not only nurses – which is expected to grow in the coming years – but also nurse educators. To meet the burgeoning need for nurses, Washington state nursing programs need […]
Adopting a budget will be the main task of Washington’s legislature in 2015. The state’s elected leaders face a big challenge. Income inequality is constricting family budgets and the whole economy, here in Washington and nationwide. Washington also has an outdated tax system that no longer fits our economy. As a result, public revenues from […]
From high-profile CEOs and movie stars to healthcare and retail workers, men consistently make more than women. Social scientists and economists have found clear evidence that gender-based discrimination persists – and is so deeply ingrained in culture and practice that it often goes unrecognized. Ensuring that all employees have the right to discuss and ask […]
Income inequality continues to grow in the United States. Public policy decisions since 1980 have facilitated the concentration of wealth and power, enabling the top 1% to claim almost all the benefits of economic growth. Stagnant incomes and increasing insecurity for the majority of households diminish health, well-being, and opportunity, exacerbate racial and gender inequality, […]
Women’s Economic Security Paycheck Fairness: Establish wage transparency and equal access to jobs and career tracks Paid Sick Days: Ensure workers statewide can earn paid sick & safe leave FaMLI Act: Provide paid family and medical leave, financed through payroll premiums Minimum Wage: Raise the state minimum wage to $12 over 4 years Educational Opportunity […]
Responsible, healthy prevention Everyone gets sick or needs to see the doctor now and then – but an estimated 1 million Washington workers get no paid sick days, including many in restaurants, retail, and even health care. Paid sick leave allows ill workers to stay home – away from coworkers and customers, and parents to care for their sick […]
Unequal pay creates economy-busting jobs Women make up half of the workforce and earn more college degrees than men. But in Washington, the typical women working full-time, year-round in 2013 took home 80¢ to a man’s $1.00. Nationally, Black women made 67¢ and Latinas 56¢ for every $1.00 paid to White men. Unequal pay hits […]
Equal Pay Opportunity Act Women hold nearly half of all jobs and earn the majority of college degrees, yet the typical woman working full time in Washington earns 80¢ to a man’s $1. On average, Washington women working full time bring home $18,000 less each year. Fifty years after Congress banned employment discrimination, up to […]
Today, 7 in 10 students are graduating with an average $29,400 in debt, making them less likely to own homes, buy cars, graduate with a STEM degree, and spur economic growth. EOI’s Pay It Forward plan offers no upfront tuition while attending college – instead, students contribute a small percentage of post-college income, so they graduate […]
Every year, the Social Security Trustees are required by law to project the program’s finances 75 years into the future. Recently, the Trustees released their 2014 report – and their intermediate projection confirms Social Security can easily continue to provide benefits as scheduled for nearly two decades. Social Security has been going strong for nearly […]
“In 2013, your support helped spark local and national action toward building an economy that works – for everyone. Here’s to new momentum, action and progress in 2014.” – John Burbank, Executive Director The Economic Opportunity Institute’s mission is to restore the promise of the middle class by advancing public policies that promote educational opportunity, […]
Since December 2012, when Oregon legislators introduced the nation’s first Pay It Forward bill, the Economic Opportunity Institute has worked to build a national network of supporters, stakeholders, policy experts and legislators. The Pay It Forward approach to tuition-free higher education has captured the nation’s imagination with hundreds of media outlets, including the New York […]
We can’t afford to provide the young people of Washington state with the best education because our outdated tax system is so out of sync with the modern economy. It’s up to us, the voters and decision-makers, to come up with the revenue plan that will amply fund education. Providing for the education of our […]
Panelists Monica Bryant, grocery worker Traci Underwood, Washington State Coalition Against Domestic Violence Boris Popovic, Main Street Alliance of Washington Panelists Walt Bowen, Washington Senior Lobby Susan Hedman, Macy’s worker Adrienne Thompson, PTE Local 17 Marilyn Watkins, Economic Opportunity Institute Panelists Steve Segal, WFSE Local 443 Dionne Foster, Restaurant worker
Testimony before the Senate Commerce and Labor Committee on HB 1313, establishing minimum standards for accrued paid sick and safe leave Good afternoon. I’m Marilyn Watkins of EOI and the WA Work and Family Coalition, testifying for HB 1313. Paid sick leave is not a new benefit. The majority of employees in the US receive […]
Long-term declines in state higher education funding and recent severe budget cuts are pushing college out of reach for middle class and low-income students. Facing stagnant household incomes, students and their families are forced to choose to either take on massive debt or shelve plans to attend college. Both options limit their potential economic mobility […]
Given before the Senate Commerce and Labor Committee on SB 6471 Good afternoon. I am Marilyn Watkins with the Economic Opportunity Institute, testifying in opposition to SB 6471. I applaud the concern of the sponsors for our state’s young people, but lowering wages for working teens is the wrong approach. The trend Washington has seen […]
Good afternoon. I’m Marilyn Watkins of the Economic Opportunity Institute and the Washington Work and Family Coalition here to testify in opposition to SB 6307 and in support of the ability of local governments to enact basic workplace standards, including minimum wages and paid sick leave. Everyone gets sick. Young children are especially likely to […]
Retirement plans for small businesses and the self-employed are limited, costly and difficult to use. Which explains hwy 77% of small business employees (fewer than 100 workers) and 80% of very small business employees (fewer than 10 workers) have no way to save for retirement at work.1 When you don’t have good options, you can’t […]
Social Security is the largest source of income for senior women 29.3% of US households (27.3% in Washington) receive Social Security income 14% of single mothers receive Social Security income Women tend to out-live men. Life expectancy for a 65 year old woman is 20.3 years in the U.S., 20.5 years in Washington Life expectancy […]
As the country continues to slowly climb its way out of the Great Recession, rising inequality and a shrinking middle class have become a growing threat to our national economy and shared quality of life. And while the American dream of prosperity, security and opportunity is still the standard by which most Americans measure success, […]
San Francisco adopted paid sick leave legislation in 2006, followed by Washington, DC, Connecticut, and Seattle. In 2013, Portland, OR, New York City, Jersey City, and SeaTac passed new laws entitling workers to paid sick leave and Washington, DC’s council expanded coverage. Protecting public health, assuring that sick children receive care and prompt medical attention, […]
Washington’s economy continued to recover jobs lost to the Great Recession during 2013, but as of November was still almost 35,000 jobs short of pre-recession levels. Meanwhile, since the end of 2007, state population increased by over 8%. Overall, Washington’s rate of recovery has tracked closely with the tepid national rate, and Washington’s November 2013 […]
Paid sick days are the responsible way to prevent the spread of disease and keep everyone healthy by encouraging sick workers and children to stay home – away from co-workers, schoolmates, and customers. 1 million people working in Washington have no paid sick leave, including: 140,000 in accommodation and food service 150,000 in retail 90,000 […]
Today’s reality: Many workers in Washington now don’t have any source of income when they must take time off for their own health or to care for family. Our infographic shows how paid sick days and Family and Medical Leave Insurance will make Washington workers, families–and our whole economy–stronger and healthier.
Students are losing their shot at the American Dream Long-term declines in state higher education funding and more recent severe budget cuts are pushing college out of reach for middle class and low-income students. Facing stagnant household incomes, students and their families are forced to choose to either take on massive debt – or shelve plans to attend college. […]
Job growth and business formation at the 1-year anniversary of Seattle’s Paid Sick and Safe Leave law In 2011, the City of Seattle adopted a paid sick and safe leave ordinance that went into effect on September 1, 2012. The law covers people working inside the city limits in companies with more than four employees, […]
The Work and Family Agenda A new baby, a bout of flu, or a cancer diagnosis too often leads to a family crisis. Forcing workers to choose between their job and their health, or that of a loved one, is bad for our communities and bad for our economy. The Work and Family Agenda assures […]
As of June 2013, five U.S. cities and one state have established laws to guarantee people the right to earn paid sick days from their employers: San Francisco, CA; Portland, OR; Seattle, WA; New York, NY; Washington, DC; and Connecticut. With the Tacoma City Council poised to consider a paid sick days ordinance, a review of recent studies […]
Social Security is far more than a retirement program Social Security is the bedrock of economic security for millions of children, workers and retired Americans. During recessions, Social Security benefits help stabilize communities everywhere. Social Security provides benefits to 57 million people each month in 2013, including more than 1 million people in Washington state […]
The Inadequacy Problem: The Great Recession and painfully slow recovery have resulted in five years of fiscal crisis for Washington. But the state began ratcheting down the level of spending on public education at least two decades ago. In the McCleary decision, the courts ruled the state must invest more in K-12 schools. The level […]