Publications

Issue Brief: How State and Local Government Can Support Workers’ Right to Form and Join Unions

By Terri Gerstein | April 22, 2025

For nearly a century, the right to form and join unions has been established by the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA). That right is imperiled by recent actions at the federal level, along with legal challenges to the constitutionality of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). This issue brief describes options for state and local government officials, elected and appointed, who wish to support the right to unionize and collectively bargain, a right enshrined in federal law and international law, and in some cases also guaranteed by state statutes and in state constitutions.

Policies for states and localities to fight oppressive child labor

By Terri Gerstein | February 27, 2024

State governments can play a critical role in enacting policies to combat the recent marked rise in child labor violations. This report reviews the enforcement provisions of current state-level child labor laws throughout the United States, and identifies a number of potential state policy options that would help curtail violations. In addition, the report notes the potential role for local government in this area.