Saturday Stats
Posted November 04, 2023 in eNews
Numeric news from Policy Matters
41, 43, 45: Number of days it took for UAW’s Stand Up Strike to force concessions from Ford, Stellantis and GM, respectively. The tentative agreements with each of the Big 3 aren’t yet ratified and the details are still emerging, but our Work & Wages team has already started their analysis. One initial impression: With these contracts, the UAW steps to the fore of a resurgent labor movement, through which working people are taking power back from the bosses.
5%: Share of Black students in Ohio who attend “high performing” schools. That’s another result of the state’s unconstitutional school funding formula, which we’re rolling back with the Fair School Funding Plan. Youth, Education & Opportunity Researcher Tanisha Pruitt, PhD., leads our work on K-12 funding, and has taken her show on the road — most recently on stage at YWCA Columbus’s annual Activists & Agitators event. Check out some highlights from Tanisha’s panel here.
89%: Share of incidents responded to by crisis-intervention trained Cleveland police officers in 2021 and 2022 that involved people experiencing mental health issues. Yet the city still sends police officers to those calls, rather than mental health professionals. Better alternatives to police response are available. Social Justice Outreach & Organizing Specialist Bree Easterling appeared on What’s Good Ohio?! to discuss their work on nonpolice care response in Cleveland. You can also catch Bree at Case Western’s Social Justice Law Center on Monday Nov. 13th at 5:00 for a panel discussion to commemorate the 9th anniversary of the in-custody death of Tanisha Anderson. Details and registration here.
5,648,100: Number of jobs in Ohio last month — another all-time record! It’s more evidence that the federal government’s aggressive response to the COVID recession is, as Economist Michael Shields puts it in our most recent JobWatch, “a triumph of public policy.” The result is a job market strong enough that working people are starting to make up some of the ground lost to employers who’ve held wages down for decades.
1,500+: Number of events held since 2018 at Youngstown’s Westside Bowl, from concerts and karaoke to drag balls and yoga. On November 28th, Policy Matters Ohio takes the stage for Food for Thought: State of Working Ohio. Join us for happy hour & food at 5:30, and stick around for our panel discussion on labor, education and worker power! Featuring our own Michael Shields and Tanisha Pruitt, PhD., with special guest AJ Sumell, PhD., Youngstown State professor of economics and lead negotiator for YSU’s faculty union. (And yes, we’ll probably bowl a few games!)
3: As of this writing, the number of days remaining to vote this election season! Early voting is open! Our friends at Innovation Ohio Education Fund provide this handy guide!
Action Items:
Join us for Food for Thought: State of Working Ohio. Tuesday, Nov. 28th, Westside Bowl, 2617 Mahoning Ave., Youngstown. (And tell your friends!)
Listen to & share the latest episode of What’s Good Ohio?!
Attend Case Western Social Justice Law Center’s panel on Mental Health Care & Crisis Response on Monday Nov. 13th at 5:00
Play trivia, eat tacos and support the Northeast Ohio chapter of the National Spinal Association, where Policy Matters Climate & Sustainability Researcher Molly Bryden is Board VP! Saturday, Nov. 18th in Lakewood.
Share this link with friends & allies you think should subscribe to Saturday Stats!
P.S. This edition of Saturday Stats was delayed by Policy Matters Ohio’s annual staff retreat, which included a few intrepid board members and a surprising number of pumpkins. Happy harvest season from all of us!