| Dear friends,
We hope you’re all having a wonderful summer. Below, you can read KRC activities over the past month. In June, KRC continued to tell the story of the benefits of federal climate and infrastructure legislation, we testified before the Pennsylvania house on the critical issue of worker misclassification, and we released a summary of our report on PA’s educational vouchers programs to keep driving home these programs lack of accountability on an issue that just won’t go away. In early June, we also recognize APSCUF President Ken Mash and Education Voters of PA Executive Director Susan Spicka at our annual awards gala, featuring keynotes from PA AFL-CIO President Angela Ferritto and PA Building Trades President Rob Bair. Stephen Herzenberg Executive Director IRA tax credit grows good IAM union jobs in York, PennsylvaniaIn this blog, Diana Polson takes a look at how a York-based hydropower manufacturer, Voith Hydro, and its workers and union, International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) Local 1400 (District 98), have partnered to benefit from a federal clean energy manufacturing tax credit. The result? Greater worker safety, increased productivity, and more good-paying union jobs. TESTIMONY – The Prevalence and Cost of Worker MisclassificationOn June 11th, KRC Executive Director Stephen Herzenberg testified before the PA House Labor & Industry Committee on the widespread worker misclassification in Pennsylvania, the costs that imposes on workers and taxpayers, and how to rein it in. Access the testimony here. Pennsylvania’s Track Record on Vouchers – Still No AccountabilityCheck out this blog summarizing our April report cataloguing the woeful lack of accountability in Pennsylvania’s two existing voucher programs that have cost taxpayers $2.6 billion since their inception. Annual Awards Gala 2024Congratulations to Sol Hoffman Award winner, APSCUF President Ken Mash and Susan C. Eaton Award winner, PA Education Voters Executive Director Susan Spicka! Another thank you to PA Building Trades President Rob Bair and PA AFL-CIO President Angela Ferritto for their inspiring keynote addresses. And finally, some recognition for the local businesses who donated to our silent auction – The National Civil War Museum, the Susquehanna Art Museum, the Whitacker Science Center, the Harrisburg Senators, Willig, Williams & Davidson, and the Midtown Scholar Bookstore CLICK HERE FOR PHOTOS, VIDEO, AND LOCAL NEWS STORIES OF THE RALLY AND PRESS CONFERENCE. PA’s Economy Remains Strong in May, Keystone Research Finds Unemployment Remains at 3.4%, Continuing Its Record-Low RunThe Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry (L&I) released its preliminary jobs report for May 2024 the third week of June. In response, Keystone Research Center released a statement and analysis finding that:
You can read the full statement here. KRC in the MediaRecent KRC statements about the strength of the PA economy from the perspective of working people have been picked up by around a dozen outlets, including:
KRC’s testimony on worker misclassification was picked up by NPR stations in Pittsburgh and Harrisburg:
Education Voters of Pennsylvania, which KRC fiscally sponsors, continued to receive great coverage of its remarkable new research documenting the obscene growth in the assets of cyber-charter schools at the expense of taxpayers and public school students:
Education Voters of PA and KRC also continued to receive media coverage based in part on their work to document the complete lack of educational and financial accountability in PA’s EITC and OSTC programs. Unfortunately, the PA Legislature continues to expand these programs:
Keystone Research Center, 412 N. 3rd Street, Harrisburg, PA 17101 | 717-255-7156 |