Whether it is exposing legislation and regulations that benefit unions, lawyers or management at the expense of workers, detailing the folly of occupational licensing laws; supporting the expansion of state right-to-work laws; or highlighting the overreach of lawmakers, bureaucrats, and courts; CEI advances reforms in this crucial, often overlooked policy area. Our op-eds, policy papers, media appearances, coalition work, and innovative research serve as crucial counterweights to the aggressive efforts by unions and their allies to frame the policy debate.
Labor and Employment Issue Areas
Featured Posts
Blog
The AI Jobs apocalypse gets postponed, as CEI predicted
The prophesies of doom that artificial intelligence would destroy jobs have been put on hold recently. Businesses, including the ones that use AI technology,…
Blog
Free the Economy podcast: Questioning the AI jobs doomsday with Sean Higgins
In this week’s episode we cover making home appliances great again, fighting price controls on health care, research on AI-fueled…
Blog
Why Big Tech is postponing the AI jobs doomsday
The heads of big tech have recently changed their tune regarding artificial intelligence’s effect on jobs. The emerging technology will bolster the workforce,…
Search Posts
Blog
The Doctor Is In, America: Get With the Estonian Program
Don’t let the optimism surrounding last month’s job numbers fool you. The unemployment rate’s decline from 7.6 percent in March to 7.5 percent in…
Citation
What we learned about immigration reform yesterday
Not a single right-leaning think tank rose in defense of Heritage’s anti-immigration study. The American Enterprise Institute, the Cato Institute, Manhattan Institute, the Competitive Enterprise…
Op-Eds
To Grow, The U.S. Economy Needs More Low-Skilled Immigrant Workers
Recently introduced legislation to tackle immigration reform has elements that should satisfy both liberals and conservatives–namely, strong border security metrics for conservatives and a pathway…
Blog
Anti-Immigration Group: “They’re Taking Your Jobs!”
The Center for Immigration Studies (CIS), the close-America’s-doors lobby group, has a facile new study that purports to show “there really are no jobs…
Blog
Poisoned Apple: Unions Taint NYC’s Economy
The Competitive Enterprise Institute’s recent video “The Life of Julius: How Unions Hurt Workers” demonstrates how unions lead to higher taxes. Many scoffed at this…
Blog
What Are the National ID Implications of the Senate Immigration Bill?
1. ID standards: The bill requires all employers to check photo IDs of all employees they hire—any employee who fails to present a photo ID…
News Release
CEI Unveils Original Cartoon Series: Unions vs. The Johnsons
Washington, D.C., May 3, 2013 – Organized labor exerts a pernicious influence on the economic lives of all Americans, even those who don’t belong to…
Blog
The Costs Of Union Shareholder Activism
Is shareholder activism a good or a bad thing? That depends on what any given resolution seeks to improve the company's performance, and thereby increase…
Blog
Hands Off! Protecting Paychecks From Union Bosses
Last year major labor law reform centered on Right to Work laws. Both Indiana and Michigan passed the commonsense reform that prohibits union security agreements,…
Blog
WPC Pro-Worker Legislation Update
In the month of April, three bills have been introduced in the 113th Congress that are now included in Workplacechoice.org Pro-Worker Legislation, which we then…
Blog
Did Hensarling Force Obama’s Hand On “Recess” Appointments?
They called it a "stunt" early last week when House Financial Services Committee Chairman Jeb Hensarling (R-Texas) refused to allow Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB)…
Blog
Jerry Brown’s Legacy Train Wreck
California Governor Jerry Brown, along with an entourage of high-profile business and financial leaders from the Golden State, recently traveled to China on a trade…
Blog
Supreme Arrogance: NLRB Challenges Court Ruling
Stop! In the name of the Constitution. On April 25 the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) petitioned the Supreme Court to review a previous ruling…
Blog
Gang Of 8’s Euphemism For National ID System: “Identity Authentication Mechanism”
Our new euphemism for a national identification system is “identity authentication mechanism.” The Gang of 8, the leaders of which are proponents of biometric national…
Blog
Meet Julius: How Unions Hurt The Average Worker
Meet Julius. Julius is an African American man living in modern-day America. Julius is a fictitious character, but the problems he faces are real problems that real…
National Review
The Life of Julius
Remember the White House’s poster child for welfare dependency, Julia? Meet Julius. Julius is the star of a new original production from my team at the Competitive Enterprise Institute…
News Release
New Labor Policy Video: The Life of Julius
WASHINGTON, D.C., April 29, 2013 — The Competitive Enterprise Institute unveiled a new video today: “The Life of Julius: How Unions Hurt Workers.” The…
Blog
Maryland Bill Will Force Teachers To Pay For The Privilege Of Going To Work
In a recent Baltimore Sun op-ed and WorkplaceChoice.org blog post, I argue against Maryland’s Orwellian-named Fair Share Act,…
Blog
The Case of the Missing BLS Source
This week the Competitive Enterprise Institute’s Labor Policy team re-launched its flagship website, WorkplaceChoice.org, featuring the original video: “The Life of Julius: How Unions Hurt…
Blog
Welcome to the New Workplace Choice!
Step right up! Welcome, boys and girls of all ages, to the new and improved WorkPlaceChoice.org, your one-stop shop for all things labor. Included herein…
Blog
The Maryland State Education Association’s Blatant Money Grab
As I recently explained in a column for the Baltimore Sun, the Maryland State Education Association (MSEA) is salivating at the chance to force all…
Blog
Obama’s Controversial Nominee For Labor Secretary To Be Voted On
Cato Institute attorney Ilya Shapiro wrote Tuesday about “Thomas Perez, the assistant attorney general for civil rights who personifies . . . this…
Blog
Iron Man vs. The Musicians Union
Iron Man has faced a variety of dastardly villains in his storied, five decade-long super hero career: Communists, terrorists, evil tycoons, rust. And most frightening…
Blog
The Other President Reagan
The actor-turned-president Ronald Reagan is remembered by some both for his on-screen presence and his impact on American politics. Too few, however, know of his…
Blog
Joy Division vs. The Lighting Union
In his new and riveting biography recounting the rise and fall of his legendary band, Joy Division bassist Peter Hook (Hooky, to friends and fans)…
National Review
The spreading of ‘right to work’ … where will it show up next?
Matt Patterson, senior fellow for the Competitive Enterprise Institute, sees Pennsylvania as one possibility. “There has been some legislation introduced [there]. I mean, that would…
Products
Fact Sheet on the Senate’s E-Verify Proposal
Full Document Available in PDF…
Blog
CEI Study: Cost Of Keeping One Unauthorized Immigrant From Getting A Job — $13,000
If Americans truly want to ensure no unauthorized immigrants work in the United States, they better get ready to pay top dollar. E-Verify, the electronic…
Blog
Why FAA’s Child Seat Campaign Is Deadly
Federal law allows airline passengers with children under the age of two to travel with their children on their laps. This option, which has existed…
Study
E-Verify Mandate Is Costly for Businesses and Workers
As Congress revisits immigration reform, one aspect deserves close attention: electronic employment verification. Both the White House’s leaked draft legislation and the Senate’s proposed bill…
Blog
VW on radar: UAW chief sets sights on Southern automakers
timesfreepress.com The UAW is coming! The UAW is coming! It’s not quite Paul Revere’s famous warning, but it’s true nonetheless. Yes, the United Auto…
Blog
EEOC: A Scofflaw That Poisons The Climate For Hiring
One way the current political climate discourages hiring is by turning problem employees into potential lawsuits for the employers who take the risk…
News Release
E-Verify Mandate Would Impose New Costs on American Businesses, Workers
WASHINGTON, D.C., April 22, 2013 – If the Senate’s comprehensive immigration reform proposal becomes law, one provision alone—that employers use E-Verify to confirm work eligibility—will…
Blog
No Job For You!
In the first State of the Union address of his second term, President Barack Obama called for a minimum wage increase, reigniting a debate about…
Blog
VW on radar: UAW chief sets sights on Southern automakers
The UAW is coming! The UAW is coming! It’s not quite Paul Revere’s famous warning, but it’s true nonetheless. Yes, the United Auto Workers union,…
Blog
Amtrak And The Progressive Sleight Of Hand
Progressives have always assumed that if something is good, it must be provided through coercive force by a central government. This is illustrated in progressive…
Blog
Four Of The Worst Arguments Against The Immigration Bill
Since the Gang of 8 released their proposal, the desperation from those who want to see this bill die — and any hope of…
Blog
Unions do their business on taxpayers’ dime
It's the old "fair share" argument, but this time it holds even less water than usual. The Maryland State Education Association, the union that bargains…
Baltimore Sun
Unions do their business on taxpayers’ dime
It's the old "fair share" argument, but this time it holds even less water than usual. The Maryland State Education Association, the union that bargains…
News Release
CEI Immigration Analyst: Gang of 8 Proposal ‘A Good Starting Point’
WASHINGTON, D.C., April 17, 2013 – A bipartisan proposal to reform America’s immigration system provides “a good starting point” for discussion but could be improved…
Blog
The UAW, Having Stripped Detroit Bare, Looks To The South
By Matt Patterson & Julia Tavlas, Forbes The United Auto Workers union, having looted and stripped Detroit bare, have set their sights south, to…
Blog
The UAW, Having Stripped Detroit Bare, Looks To The South
The United Auto Workers union, having looted and stripped Detroit bare, have set their sights south, to the right-to-work states and the foreign-owned auto plants…
Baltimore Sun
The UAW, Having Stripped Detroit Bare, Looks To The South
Co-written with Julia Tavlas. The United Auto Workers union, having looted and stripped Detroit bare, have set their sights south, to the right-to-work states and…
Blog
Seven Principles Of Free Market Immigration Reform
1. Immigration laws should value human beings. America should welcome newcomers so long as they pose no threat to the health or safety of Americans.
Blog
House Of Representatives Rebukes Rogue NLRB
Openmarket.org On Friday, April 12, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Preventing Greater Uncertainty in Labor-Management Relations Act, a laudable attempt to rein in President Obama’s unconstitutionally staffed — and…
Blog
House Of Representatives Rebukes Rogue NLRB
On Friday, April 12, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Preventing Greater Uncertainty in Labor-Management Relations Act, a laudable attempt to rein in President Obama’s unconstitutionally staffed — and therefore illegitimate…
Blog
CEI Lauds, Will Keyvote Members on NLRB Reform Measure
Competitive Enterprise Institute Today the House of Representatives is expected to vote on legislation that would require the National Labor Relations Board to cease…
Blog
Railroading The Railroads
In recent years, members of Congress have worked with various interest groups for the purpose of imposing new economic regulations on the…
News Release
CEI Lauds, Will Keyvote Members on NLRB Reform Measure
WASHINGTON, D.C., April 12, 2013 – Today the House of Representatives is expected to vote on legislation that would require the National Labor Relations Board…
Blog
Americans Reject Actual E-Verify System
Imagine there was a free program that could guarantee for employers a legal workforce and eliminate illegal immigration. Would you favor such a system? Yes…
Staff & Scholars
Sean Higgins
Research Fellow
- Deregulation
- Labor and Employment
Ryan Young
Senior Economist and Director of Publications
- Antitrust
- Business and Government
- Regulatory Reform
Ivan Osorio
Editorial Director
- Labor and Employment
Iain Murray
Vice President for Strategy and Senior Fellow
- Banking and Finance
- Trade and International