Announcements of a big employer moving to town, or a large infrastructure project, can often spark excitement. Local communities see the potential for big benefits, including new and better jobs and other investment in community needs. Too often, however, these benefits do not materialize. Community Benefits Agreements (CBAs), binding agreements created between community groups and organizations like real estate developers or large employers, are a powerful alternative that ensure people have...

The passage of the 13th Amendment following the American Civil War abolished slavery and involuntary servitude, but it included a crucial exception: “except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted.” This exception allowed southern governments to institute an early version of prison labor called convict leasing. Black Americans arrested for minor offenses, once imprisoned, were effectively purchased from state and local governments by individuals and...

Today’s politicized environment poses unique challenges for worker rights advocates. With Congress often divided, and many state and local governments as well, the path to improving worker rights through legislation is narrow. Nonetheless, we have seen some remarkable progress on worker rights over the last few years through executive action. Leveraging executive action, however, is not a straightforward and easily discernible path for grassroots activists and organizations interested in...

Workforce intermediaries are uniquely positioned to help workers and businesses achieve mutually beneficial outcomes. Employers desire a workforce development approach that will address their most critical pain points, whereas workers seek opportunities to advance their economic security. In recent years, a wave of organizations has worked to take a “both-and” approach. These pioneers have recognized that job retention and recruitment are often linked to poor job quality, and that worker...

Meat and poultry processing are core to our food supply chain. According to the US Department of Agriculture, the average American consumes about 68 pounds of chicken, 48 pounds of pork, and 56 pounds of beef per year. Meanwhile, health and safety hazards are pervasive, and workers in these sectors face some of the harshest conditions in the US. They endure long hours on their feet, with few breaks, working with sharp tools at fast speeds. And they do so in cold, damp environments where...

People in the US spend more than 10% of their disposable income on food each year. About a trillion dollars of this spending goes toward purchasing food to eat at home, much of it spent at grocery stores and supermarkets. Yet, very few people understand or know about how food makes it to this last step of the food supply chain and ends up on the shelves of their local store.  In this book talk, Benjamin Lorr, author of “The Secret Life of Groceries: The Dark Miracle of the American...

For almost twenty years, the Aspen Institute Economic Opportunities Program has convened local and national academies that bring together senior leaders from across the workforce ecosystem to learn together about increasing economic opportunity for all. In this conversation facilitated by EOP Senior Fellow Dee Wallace, we hear from Clair Minson, the founder and principal consultant at Sandra Grace LLC, co-director of Workforce Matters, and a 2015 alumna of the Weinberg Sector Skills Academy...

The myth that hard work pays off in the US, and always leads to a better and more economically prosperous life, has come unraveled in recent years. Many jobs simply do not pay enough for workers to meet their basic needs, much less do things such as save for retirement, fund their kids’ education, or allow for leisure. In her first book, “The Guarantee: Inside the Fight for America’s Next Economy,” Natalie Foster asks us to imagine a new economic framework that casts aside the failures of...

In this clip, Gwyneth Galbraith, vice president for global small business philanthropy at JPMorgan Chase, offers closing remarks for the 2024 Employee Ownership Ideas Forum. The Forum is hosted by the Aspen Institute Economic Opportunities Program and the Rutgers Institute for the Study of Employee Ownership and Profit Sharing. Our 2024 Forum, “Employee Ownership on the Ground,” brought innovative employee share ownership initiatives and speakers from around the country to Washington DC to...

In this video, we hear from five leaders representing a variety of sectors about their “big idea” for advancing employee ownership. Speakers include: Christine Curella, Economic Development Consultant; Former Senior Policy Adviser to Deputy Mayor of New York City Evan Edwards, Chief Executive Officer, Project Equity Chris Griswold, Policy Director, American Compass Wilma Liebman, Former Chair, National Labor Relations Board; Senior Fellow, Rutgers Institute for the Study of Employee...

Equity compensation is a standard practice across the corporate world. But very often, it’s just the C-suite and upper level management who are allowed to participate and capture the gains. Frontline workers, particularly women and people of color, are often excluded from this wealth-building opportunity. This panel will highlight examples and practices that reverse this trend so that equity compensation is equitable and so that the frontline workers, who are key to driving profits, also see...

Financing employee ownership conversions has been a long-standing challenge to growth. But new funds and investors from across the financial sector are coming on board. And many more opportunities appear on the horizon as institutional investors are beginning to explore how to get involved. This panel of finance experts will highlight some emerging finance models and the opportunities and challenges of financing the growth of employee ownership in the decade to come. Speakers include: Amy...

The field of employee ownership is one in constant evolution. New forms of ownership are being created with some regularity, and the practice of starting and converting businesses to ownership continues to develop. These evolutions are in response to various factors including changing market conditions, policy and regulatory environments, and worker and business needs. But what they often share is a desire to innovate so that ownership and the benefits it provides can expand. This discussion...

In this clip, Ford Foundation Senior Program Officer Margot Brandenburg and Aspen Institute Vice President Maureen Conway (who also serves as executive director of the Institute’s Economic Opportunities Program) provide opening remarks for the second day of the 2024 Employee Ownership Ideas Forum. The Forum is hosted by the Aspen Institute Economic Opportunities Program and the Rutgers Institute for the Study of Employee Ownership and Profit Sharing. Our 2024 Forum, “Employee Ownership on...

In this clip, Sarah Keh, vice president for inclusive solutions at Prudential Financial, offers closing remarks for the first day of the 2024 Employee Ownership Ideas Forum. The Forum is hosted by the Aspen Institute Economic Opportunities Program and the Rutgers Institute for the Study of Employee Ownership and Profit Sharing. Our 2024 Forum, “Employee Ownership on the Ground,” brought innovative employee share ownership initiatives and speakers from around the country to Washington DC to...

Agencies across the US government are engaged in supporting employee ownership. And in recent years, this engagement has grown as new laws such as the WORK Act, the Main Street Employee Ownership Act, and other pieces of legislation have passed. In this discussion, we’ll hear from a variety of agencies about the strategies and programs they are implementing, the lessons they are learning, and how stakeholders around the country can partner with them to expand ownership in their communities....

In this clip, US Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont shares his thoughts at the 2024 Employee Ownership Ideas Forum, including the reasoning behind his support for employee ownership and steps Congress is taking to expand ownership opportunities. The Forum is hosted by the Aspen Institute Economic Opportunities Program and the Rutgers Institute for the Study of Employee Ownership and Profit Sharing. Our 2024 Forum, “Employee Ownership on the Ground,” brought innovative employee share ownership...

In this clip, Jim Bonham, president and CEO of the ESOP Association, provides an update on the role of federal policy in employee ownership, including recent developments and prospective opportunities. This video comes from the second Employee Ownership Ideas Forum, hosted by the Aspen Institute Economic Opportunities Program and the Rutgers Institute for the Study of Employee Ownership and Profit Sharing. Our 2024 Forum, “Employee Ownership on the Ground,” brought innovative employee share...

In this clip, US Senator Chris Van Hollen of Maryland shares his thoughts at the 2024 Employee Ownership Ideas Forum, including the reasoning behind his support for employee ownership and steps Congress is taking to expand ownership opportunities. The Forum is hosted by the Aspen Institute Economic Opportunities Program and the Rutgers Institute for the Study of Employee Ownership and Profit Sharing. Our 2024 Forum, “Employee Ownership on the Ground,” brought innovative employee share...

Employee ownership has long-standing bipartisan appeal. Over the last few years, we have seen that industrial policy, the idea that the government should invest in and support industries critical to the nation’s security and competitiveness, is also appealing to both parties. This conversation will examine how these ideas converge and the benefits and value of having businesses be employee-owned that are important to our national interest and the health of our supply chains. During this...

Rural communities looking to improve economic opportunities and retain jobs and community wealth know employee ownership can help them achieve these objectives. In fact, some of the states, towns, and cities with the densest number of employee owned-companies are in primarily rural areas. These companies range from small worker cooperatives in agriculture and energy to medium and large companies in manufacturing and construction, among other sectors. During this panel conversation, we’ll hear...

States around the country are increasingly recognizing the benefits of employee ownership in creating and retaining good jobs and successful businesses in their communities. And in response, they are developing new legislation and policies to support the growth of employee ownership within their states by offering additional tax incentives, financial support, and other assistance and resources. Speakers include: Mike Padden, State Senator, 4th District, Washington State Senate Naquetta...

In this clip, Rutgers University President Jonathan Holloway and Dean Adrienne Eaton (School of Management and Labor Relations) provide opening remarks at the 2024 Employee Ownership Ideas Forum.  The Forum is hosted by the Aspen Institute Economic Opportunities Program and the Rutgers Institute for the Study of Employee Ownership and Profit Sharing. Our 2024 Forum, “Employee Ownership on the Ground,” brought innovative employee share ownership initiatives and speakers from around the...

In this clip, Congressman Larry Bucshon, who represents Indiana’s 8th District in the US House of Representatives, shares his thoughts at the 2024 Employee Ownership Ideas Forum, including the reasoning behind his support for employee ownership and steps Congress is taking to expand ownership opportunities. The Forum is hosted by the Aspen Institute Economic Opportunities Program and the Rutgers Institute for the Study of Employee Ownership and Profit Sharing. Our 2024 Forum, “Employee...