ADVANCING WORKER’S STATE CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS | Illinois as a Model

In 2022 Illinois became the fifth state to pass a Constitutional Amendment protecting the rights of workers. Unlike other states, however, Illinois voters passed a ballot measure to create what is arguably the strongest constitutional provisions protecting collective bargaining in the country. PMCR presents two thought pieces on the Amendment.  The first paper, by Professor … Read more

ILLINOIS LABOR ACTION REPORT | 2021-2023

Welcome to our first fact sheet documenting strikes by union and nonunion workers across Illinois. These data are derived from the Labor Action Tracker, a project started in 2021 that comprehensively documents strike activity in the United States. As of January 2024, the Labor Action Tracker is a joint project between Cornell University’s School of … Read more

EFFECTS OF THE EXPANDED CHILD TAX CREDIT ON EMPLOYMENT OUTCOMES | Evidence from the Midwest and Implications for Illinois

The Child Tax Credit (CTC) underwent a significant transformation under the American Rescue Plan Act (ARP-CTC) from July to December 2021, becoming a near-universal child allowance. The expanded CTC represented a significant milestone in US social policy, included increasing the maximum annual benefit size, making the benefit fully refundable, and converting the annual payment to … Read more

THE POTENTIAL ECONOMIC CONSEQUENCES OF A HIGHLY AUTOMATED CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY: WHAT IF CONSTRUCTION BECOMES THE NEXT MANUFACTURING?

What if construction is the next manufacturing, with automation replacing hundreds of thousands of middle-class workers over the next generation? In the future, technological changes that displace human labor in the construction industry could have consequences for workers, families, and the U.S. economy. This report is a theoretical assessment of the potential economic impacts of … Read more

ADVANCING CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY DIVERSITY: A PILOT STUDY OF THE EAST CENTRAL AREA BUILDING TRADES COUNCIL

The importance of the construction trades and apprenticeship programs as a unique and unparalleled pathway into middle class job opportunities for non-college graduates, inspired the Project for Middle Class Renewal in the Labor Education Program (LEP) at the University of Illinois’ School of Labor and Employment Relations to invite building trades’ apprenticeship programs to participate … Read more