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In 2024, COWS became the High Road Strategy Center! Learn more.

State of Working Wisconsin 2024 is live!

High Road Strategy Center releases State of Working Wisconsin 2024!

In celebration of Wisconsin workers, the High Road Strategy Center released the State of Working Wisconsin 2024. Our report analyzes the most recent data available on wages, jobs, and unions, and, this year, provides a special feature on women workers. We have been releasing this report since 1996 to provide clear information on the economy as experienced by the working people of the state. 

Check out State of Working Wisconsin 2024

 

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From Community Benefits, to Collective Bargaining, and Back: Building Worker Power in Milwaukee

A good Community Benefits Agreement is crucial to generating strong community results from public investments in private interests such as sports stadiums. Milwaukee’s first CBA was successful at establishing labor peace and provided space for workers to create their union, the Milwaukee Area Service and Hospitality Workers Organization (MASH). In this report, we illustrate the ways in which MASH has been able to successfully secure improvements in employment and job quality standards for service workers in Milwaukee’s Deer District and beyond.

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High Road Strategy Center in the News

  • The State of Working in Wisconsin with Laura Dresser

    On today’s show, host Allen Ruff speaks with UW-Madison labor economist and High Road Strategy Center associate director Laura Dresser. Dresser speaks with Ruff about geographic disparities, union impacts, and gender disparities.

  • Wisconsin’s low-wage workers have seen gains in recent years, but challenges remain

    Wages for the lowest-paid workers in Wisconsin have risen faster than pay for higher earners in recent years, but workers still face challenges. That’s according to the new “State of Working Wisconsin” report from the High Road Strategy Center, an economic think tank at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The report is released annually around Labor Day to provide insights into how workers are doing in the economy.

  • Income inequality declining in Wisconsin, report shows

    The State of Working Wisconsin 2024 report, released ahead of Labor Day, notes this change marks a “reversal of trends” from the past 40 years or so. The income gap between lower- and higher-wage workers has been closing in the recovery period following the COVID-19 pandemic shutdowns and continues through this year, the report shows.

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