Jennifer Sherer

🏛️ This week the Supreme Court declined to hear a challenge to Minnesota's ban on captive audience meetings which force employees to listen to political, religious, or anti-union employer views—on work time. 1/

Since 1938, workers have counted on overtime pay when working over 40 hrs/week. But Project 2025 proposes allowing to skirt the rules. States need to act now to defend/protect workers’ right to overtime pay. @dskamper.bsky.social and @jensherer.bsky.social describe how ↴

Before 2008, workers in every state were guaranteed 26 weeks of unemployment insurance if they lost a job. Today, many states have cut back benefits, some to as little as 12 weeks. With the economy teetering, unemployment benefits are more important than ever.

Did you know that kids as young as 10 can be employed on farms, and there are no limits on how many hours they can work? Federal child labor laws are much weaker in agriculture, the most dangerous industry for children. But states can step in to keep kids safe: www.epi.org/publication/...

Did you know that in 6 states—AL, AR, LA, MS, SD, TN—you aren’t guaranteed any info about your own paycheck? To increase transparency & prevent wage theft, other states require pay stubs w/ written info on how pay was calculated Learn more about the laws in your state: www.epi.org/publication/...

24 states & DC have discrimination laws that are more expansive than federal law. 19 states offer weaker protections. With Trump gutting federal protections, state laws are more important than ever. How well does your state protect you from discrimination? www.epi.org/publication/...

In 2023, 385 workers died from hazardous working conditions every. single. day. The highest fatality rates? WY, WV, AR, AK, MN, and ND. As federal workplace protections are dismantled, states need to step in to protect workers on the job. Learn more: www.epi.org/publication/...

Millions of workers earning less than $60k/year were on track to get overtime pay until Trump took it away. But states can step in and make sure workers get the overtime pay they’ve earned. AK, CA, CO, ME, NY, and WA have done so. Has your state? Learn more: www.epi.org/publication/...

"We are facing an all-out war on workers," EPI's @jensherer.bsky.social told America's Work Force Union Podcast. “We’re in a situation right now where no workers can count on the federal government to protect their basic fundamental rights.” Listen here: awf.labortools.com/listen/jenni...

Solidarity with brave CDC employees (past and present) and their AFGE union standing up for themselves, their agency’s mission, and all of us.

I hereby nominate NYT spelling bee developers to take over headline writing

Trump nominated right-wing Project 2025 contributor EJ Antoni as the next Bureau of Labor Statistics commissioner. Trump wants to hide the consequences of his bad policies by manipulating BLS data—but it won’t work, says EPI Chief Economist @joshbivens-econ.bsky.social: www.epi.org/press/trump-...

Quote this with a book you read way too young that explains why you are the way you are. (Read in 2nd or 3rd grade when I was 7 or 8; can’t remember which b/c I had the same amazing teacher both years).

In the face of federal attacks on workers, many states used this year's legislative season to pass bills that protect workers and improve job quality. Here's how states took action for and against workers: www.epi.org/blog/2025-wo...

Ghislaine Maxwell, who helped Jeffrey Epstein procure and sexually abuse young women, was transferred to a cushy minimum-security prison in Texas in the midst of Trump needing her support with the Epstein files. We all know what's happening but shouldn't lose focus. www.jezebel.com/since-no-one...

Today, President Trump directed his team to fire the commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) because he didn’t like the jobs numbers they released. This is a move straight out of an autocratic playbook, says EPI President ‪@hshierholz.bsky.social‬ www.epi.org/press/trumps...

Good on her. This is not the biggest issue but, as an economist, I am amazed at how many people and vehicles ICE is wasting to make a single, simple arrest. Imagine if we staffed Head Start classrooms like that!

Always good to be with union siblings in Chicago, but especially good on a day like today.

If I hear one more reporter say these attacks on universities and science are about "antisemitism," I am going to lose it. This is about destroying higher education full stop and it doesn't help to parrot the White House's talking points. www.science.org/content/arti...

for anyone wondering how it's possibly legal to restrict DC 33 picketlines in Philadelphia: like many (most?) states, PA has mass picketing laws on the books dating back to the 1930s, and those laws are an incredibly underexamined problem for worker power.

Happy anniversary to the Fair Labor Standards Act! 🎉 We hope you last another 87 years—and that you get some long-overdue improvements! The FLSA brought us important labor standards like the federal minimum wage and child labor protections. Check out our work on these important topics: 🧵

NO KINGS #iowacity Crowds at 35+ other events across the state are ranging from 50 in tiny towns to at least 10K in Des Moines.

Devastating loss. Grieving with my MN friends and family and sending love to all state legislators and public servants who should never have to live in fear.

“One of the strongest natural proofs of the folly of hereditary right in kings, is, that nature disapproves it, otherwise, she would not so frequently turn it into ridicule by giving mankind an ass for a lion.” #nokings #thomaspaine

Historic breakthrough in Maine: Gov. Mills has signed legislation extending the state min wage to farmworkers. Congrats to all who fought for years to win this! @maineaflcio.bsky.social @mecep.bsky.social

Let’s be clear: ICE injured and detained the president of SEIU California for peacefully observing. ICE picked the wrong side. The wrong state. The wrong person. and the wrong union. David Huerta stood up. And now 750,000 SEIU workers are standing up behind him. seiuca.org/press-releas...

What happened on Friday May 9 to make FedEx stock jump 7%? FedEx board member David Steiner was nominated to lead the Postal Service in the wake of a Wells Fargo report naming FedEx as a big winner if the Postal Service were privatized--an idea Trump has floated. #USPS 1/2

Big win for workers in Washington! Gov. Ferguson has signed legislation making WA the third state to extend unemployment insurance to striking workers.

“With his veto of this bill — which passed both chambers of the General Assembly with significant support — Governor Polis has once again turned his back on Colorado workers seeking fair wages, good benefits, and safe working conditions.”

We stand with @coloradoaflcio.bsky.social and urge @govofco.bsky.social to stand with Colorado’s nurses, construction workers & service employees—the people who power our economy every day—instead of siding with billionaire CEOs and corporate consultants. Sign the Worker Protection Act into law!

After the RIF notices from tonight here is an Updated NIOSH Org chart for your convenience.

To everyone who cares about the fundamental freedom of all workers, now is the time to be even louder. Call Congress and tell them to support the Protect America’s Workforce Act to reverse the union-busting executive order! act.aflcio.org/call_campaig...

Still holds up

It’s time for Colorado to remove barriers to unionization. Learn more about how the Worker Protection Act would restore workers' bargaining rights from EPI's @jensherer.bsky.social and @elisegould.bsky.social: www.epi.org/publication/...

Yes, and … maybe not only “right now”?

Way to go, Utah unions!

It works. The government here largely works. Because we are so spoiled by how well it works, we are letting a fool convince us it is broken.

Mohsen was working for peace & understanding between Israelis & Palestinians. His detention on the way to an immigration hearing isn't about antisemitism or threats to security; it's about punishing people who speak up, & scaring others into silence. www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...

Iowans to Chair of Judiciary Committee: “Are you going to bring that guy back from El Salvador?” #bringhimhome

So weird to see colleges promoting their USNWR grad school rankings today like grad students aren’t being disappeared by their government.

DOGE's illegal & arbitrary cuts will hurt Black federal workers in every state. Wondering how many Black federal workers are in your state? Check out our new resource showing every state's percentage of Black federal workers! www.epi.org/publication/...

This morning, the House is holding a hearing about adding more work requirements to food stamp benefits. But work requirements DON'T WORK to help people find jobs. Stricter work reporting requirements will hurt people struggling to put food on the table. Learn more: www.epi.org/publication/...

Enormous crowd out for Iowa City Hands Off! Rally

Last week, ICE agents violently removed farmworker organizer and advocate Alfredo Juarez from his car while dropping his partner off at work. He was likely targeted because of his work for farmworkers’ basic rights, such as overtime pay & protections from extreme heat. www.epi.org/blog/ice-und...

Stripping collective bargaining and union rights from workers across the federal government is the very definition of union busting — and a blatant attempt to silence us. We will fight this outrageous attack on our members with every fiber of our collective being.