ProGov21 Policy Library

2023-2024 State & Local Policy Agenda

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2023

Level City or Town, State

State(s) All States

Source EARN

Policy Areas Economic Justice

Workers face economic threats including eroding wages, unfair firings, union busting, and entrenched occupational segregation. As workers organize to fight back, they need local policymakers to implement new policies that raise labor standards and crack down on abuses. This report...

Rigging the Gig: How Uber, Lyft, and DoorDash’s Ballot Initiative Would Put Corporations Above the Law and Steal Wages, Benefits, and Protections from California Workers

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2020

Level State

State(s) California

Source Partnership for Working Families

Policy Areas Economic Justice, Civil Rights

In California, Uber, Lyft, Instacart, DoorDash, and Postmates workers are all classified as employees under California law entitled to the same benefits and protections enjoyed by all California employees. However, these companies are funding a ballot initiative – Proposition 22 or...

Why Do Parents Pay So Much for Child Care When Early Educators Earn So Little?

Type Fact Sheet or Infographic

Year 2018

Level City or Town, County, State

State(s) All States

Source Center for the Study of Child Care Employment

Policy Areas Children & Families, Economic Justice, Education

Although the average cost of child care rivals college tuition, early educators are among the lowest-paid workers in the country. This infographic outlines the consequences of insufficient wages on early educators' livelihoods....

Using State and Local Governments’ Purchasing Power to Combat Wage Theft

Type Article

Year 2024

Level City or Town, County, State

State(s) All States

Source Courtlyn G. Roser-Jones

Policy Areas Democracy & Governance, Economic Justice, Finance & Procurement

Because the likelihood of being penalized is low, some employers commit wage-theft on a large scale. This report explores government contracting approaches for mitigating wage theft, including disclosure obligations, ineligibility sanctions for wage-theft offenders, and government...

Career Pathways & Equity Policy Recommendations

Type Ordinance or Resolution

Year 2022

Level City or Town, County, State

State(s) All States

Source Welcoming America

Policy Areas Community Development, Democracy & Governance, Economic Justice, Finance & Procurement

Localities should pursue equity-focused workforce development strategies that expand career opportunities and mitigate discriminatory hiring practices. This policy toolkit offers strategies for expanding access to career pathways programs, implementing local procurement strategies...

2014 Newark Ordinance 2010 Requiring Employers to Provide Paid Sick and Family Leave

Type Ordinance or Resolution

Year 2014

Level City or Town

State(s) New Jersey

Source Newark City Council

Policy Areas Health

This ordinance requires employers to provide a minimum level of paid sick time, including time for care for family members. The purpose of this ordinance is to protect the public’s health in Newark by reducing the risk of and spread of contagion, and to promote preventative health...

Early Care and Education Programs During COVID-19: Persistent Inequities and Emerging Challenges

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2022

Level State

State(s) California

Source Center for the Study of Child Care Employment

Policy Areas Children & Families, Economic Justice, Education, Finance & Procurement

This report analyzes the impact of COVID-19 on the early care and education system using data from the 2020 California Early Care and Education (ECE) Workforce Study. Findings show that the pandemic worsened existing disparities within the ECE workforce based on program type and funding....

Working From Home: From Invisibility to Decent Work

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2021

Level City or Town

State(s) All States

Source International Labour Organization

Policy Areas Economic Justice

With the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, large portions of the world’s workforce shifted to homeworking, joining hundreds of millions of other workers who had already been working from home for decades. Given the continued struggle to improve the rights and working conditions...

From Community Benefits to Collective Bargaining, and Back: Building Worker Power in Milwaukee

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2024

Level City or Town

State(s) All States, Wisconsin

Source High Road Strategy Center

Policy Areas Community Development, Economic Justice

Community Benefits Agreements (CBA) are negotiated between private developers, labor organizations, and community stakeholders to ensure large-scale developments create high-quality jobs during and after the construction phase. This report examines how the Milwaukee Area Service and...

Wages & Benefits Roadmap

Type Roadmap

Year 2021

Level City or Town, County

State(s) All States

Source ProGov21

Policy Areas Economic Justice

Presently, the average American worker is unfairly compensated for their labor. In response to this challenge, ProGov21's updated Job Quality Roadmap provides information and resources that enable the creation of a healthy and productive workforce. It calls on local governments to...

2022 Seattle Resolution 32041 Supporting Unionization for Starbucks Workers

Type Ordinance or Resolution

Year 2022

Level City or Town

State(s) Washington

Source Seattle City Council

Policy Areas Economic Justice

This resolution expresses the Seattle City Council's support for workers at Starbucks in Seattle who are attempting to form a union. It urges Starbucks to accept card check neutrality and allow their workforce to discuss unionization free from threats, intimidation, anti-union propaganda,...

Using State and Local Government Purchasing Power to Combat Wage Theft

Type Article

Year 2024

Level City or Town, County, State

State(s) All States

Source Washington and Lee Law Review

Policy Areas Democracy & Governance, Economic Justice, Finance & Procurement

Because the likelihood of being penalized is low, some employers commit wage-theft on a large scale. This report explores government contracting approaches for mitigating wage theft, including disclosure obligations, ineligibility sanctions for wage-theft offenders, and government...

Local Government Employee Retention 2023: The Ultimate Guide

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2023

Level City or Town, County

State(s) All States

Source GovPilot

Policy Areas Democracy & Governance, Economic Justice

This guide outlines employee retention strategies and highlights best practices for preventing turnover in local government positions. It recommends utilizing federal infrastructure grant funding to provide retention incentives, fostering a supportive and inclusive workplace culture,...

2014 Chicago Ordinance 02014-1511 Requiring Employers to Provide Paid Sick Leave

Type Ordinance or Resolution

Year 2014

Level City or Town

State(s) Illinois

Source Chicago City Council

Policy Areas Economic Justice, Civil Rights, Health

This ordinance requires all employers in the City of Chicago to offer employees the opportunity to earn and accumulate sick time. The ordinance requires employers to provide one hour of sick time for each 30 hours worked, with a cap of 40 accumulated hours for small employers and...

Raising the Minimum Wage to $10.10: A Win-Win for Rhode Island Workers and the Economy

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2013

Level City or Town

State(s) Rhode Island

Source The Economic Progress Institute

Policy Areas Economic Justice, Civil Rights

This brief outlines results from the Economic Policy Institute's study on the Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2013, which would raise the federal minimum wage to $10.10 by 2015. It finds that raising the minimum wage will dually improve the economic well-being of Rhode Islanders and strengthen...

We Need Major Reform that Prioritizes the Needs of our Child Care Workforce

Type Fact Sheet or Infographic

Year 2021

Level City or Town, County, State

State(s) All States

Source Center for the Study of Child Care Employment

Policy Areas Children & Families, Economic Justice, Education

This infographic argues that subsidized child care is ineffective until the early care and education system is reformed to ensure educators earn fair wages and benefits. Although subsidies have the potential to help low-income families afford child care, tax credits primarily benefit...

It is Time for Earned Sick Leave in Michigan

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2016

Level State

State(s) Michigan

Source Michigan League for Public Policy

Policy Areas Economic Justice, Children & Families

Michigan should enact an earned sick leave law. An earned sick leave law in Michigan would require most employers to bank sick time for their workers based on the number of hours they have worked. This would help low-paid workers keep their jobs, increase productivity, reduce employee...

Early Childhood Educators Set Florida’s Kids on the Path Towards Success

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2023

Level State

State(s) Florida

Source Council for a Strong America

Policy Areas Children & Families, Economic Justice, Education

Qualified teachers are the foundation of high-quality early care and education (ECE). However, inadequate compensation and subpar working conditions for ECE workers threatens the quality of programs by leading to high levels of turnover. This report urges policymakers to invest in...

From Unlivable Wages to Just Pay for Early Educators

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2019

Level City or Town

State(s) All States

Source Center for the Study of Child Care Employment

Policy Areas Children & Families, Economic Justice, Education

Teaching in early care and education (ECE) programs is one of the lowest-paid occupations in the United States. This report summarizes recent research on wage standards and assesses existing initiatives intended to address the problem of low wages in ECE. It concludes that educators...

Essential but Unprotected: App-based Food Couriers in New York City

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2021

Level City or Town

State(s) New York

Source Los Deliveristas Unidos

Policy Areas Economic Justice, Health, Data & Technology

This report contains the findings from a participatory action research project that examined the working and living conditions of delivery workers engaged by digital platforms (also known as apps) to deliver restaurant food orders to consumers in New York City. Findings show that...

How to Recruit and Retain Top Talent in the Public Sector

Type Article

Year 2022

Level City or Town, County, State

State(s) All States

Source NeoGov

Policy Areas Democracy & Governance, Economic Justice, Finance & Procurement

Government employers must pursue innovative hiring strategies to outcompete private sector entities for talented candidates. This guide outlines best practices for recruiting and sourcing candidates, and recommends emphasizing career development opportunities, improving employer branding...

Living Wage Policy Toolkit

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year -

Level City or Town

State(s) All States

Source PolicyLink

Policy Areas Democracy & Governance, Economic Justice

To ensure that public spending creates high-quality family-supporting jobs, local governments should implement living wage ordinances that set wage standards for city employees, government contractors, and companies receiving public subsidies. This policy guide highlights the benefits...

2022 Austin Ordinance 31 Establishing Wage Theft Prevention Standards

Type Ordinance or Resolution

Year 2022

Level City or Town

State(s) Texas

Source City of Austin

Policy Areas Democracy & Governance, Economic Justice

This ordinance combats wage theft by requiring the city to designate a wage theft coordinator, establishing a database of employers with a record of wage theft adjudication, and preventing offending employers from contracting with the city. It also outlines the wage theft coordinator's...

Preempting Progress in the Heartland: State Lawmakers in the Midwest Prevent Shared Prosperity and Racial, Gender, and Immigrant Justice by Interfering in Local Policymaking

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2021

Level City or Town, County, State

State(s) All States

Source EARN

Policy Areas Economic Justice, Civil Rights, Democracy & Governance

Across the midwest, conservative state lawmakers have increasingly used preemption—a tactic whereby a higher level of government limits or eliminates the power of a lower-level government to regulate an issue—to reduce the policy tools and power available to local lawmakers. This...

The Role of Local Government in Protecting Workers Rights

Type Policy Brief or Report

Year 2022

Level City or Town, County

State(s) All States, Wyoming

Source Local Progress

Policy Areas Community Development, Democracy & Governance, Economic Justice, Health, Public Safety

Protecting and advancing worker' rights are central functions of local governments. This report provides an overview of some of the most noteworthy ways in which localities have taken action on behalf of working people, in spite of challenges imposed by federal and state preemption...

ProGov21 Policy Library

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