Thread by @EconomicPolicy

Two new reports released today as a part of our Unequal Power project show how unequal bargaining power sabotages workers’ ability to protect themselves and obtain adequate compensation for the risks they face on the job. epi.org/unequalpower/

The first report by @AnnRosenthal6 demonstrates how employers retain considerable powers over their workers’ abilities to protect themselves from injury, illness, and death, despite constraints created by the Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Act. epi.org/unequalpower/p…

Whether it's being able to decide when—or whether—to use the bathroom or having the ability to refuse to perform particularly hazardous tasks, workers are at the mercy of potentially dictatorial employers.

The deficiencies in the OSH Act and its implementation have become starkly obvious during the COVID-19 pandemic. Many workers who have complained about the lack of protections from the virus have faced discipline or termination for expressing concern.

And workers who opt to quit as a way to protect themselves from a threat like COVID-19 lose not only their paychecks but also their eligibility for unemployment insurance, frequently at a time when there are few other employment opportunities.

The second report illustrates how lopsided employer power prevents most workers from obtaining adequate compensation for the inherent health risks they face at work. epi.org/unequalpower/p…

The free-market view that workers are fully compensated by higher wages for the risks they face on the job & that markets alone are sufficient to ensure this outcome do not stand up to scrutiny. Unregulated markets have failed to ensure safe working conditions and health equity.

Millions have suffered health as well as economic consequences, including those now visible as a result of the ongoing pandemic. Workers of color have been especially hard-hit.

To increase worker bargaining power, we must start with revamping labor laws to restore workers' right to a union. Congress must pass the PRO Act. #1u #UnionStrong epi.org/publication/wh…

Interested in learning more? You're in luck: The authors will discuss these reports and more at our webinar tomorrow at 4pm ET.

Register here: epi.org/unequalpower/e…