Information about the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) working in secret to push state-level policy to more extreme levels is coming to light  more and more  and America's working families are starting to stand up to the group's corporate-driven agenda. While ALEC's agenda is all over the policy map, the organization has a particular focus on pushing new laws that attack working families and undercut the rights of workers, both in the workplace and in retirement.  Here are eight of the most dangerous and most widespread ways that ALEC is targeting workers and their right to a voice on the job.

The Economic Policy Institute has released important research about the economy in the past few weeks. Here's a look at some of the key pieces it uncovered about the U.S. economy.

With the debate in Washington set to return to the budget and the economy after the August congressional recess, President Obama today said, “The stakes for our middle class could not be higher.” In the first of several speeches set for coming weeks on the economy, Obama told the audience at Knox College in Galesburg, Ill., that because of a Republican-led "endless parade of distractions, political posturing and phony scandals, Washington has taken its eye off the ball."

A  new poll  released today finds that 80% percent of Americans—including 62% of Republicans and 80% of Independents—support raising the minimum wage to $10.10 per hour and indexing it to the cost of living. It was last raised to $7.25 an hour in 2009.

The release of the poll came as low-wage workers and community, faith, union and other allies are staging a National Day of Action calling for passage of Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2013.

Click here to sign our petition asking Congress to raise the minimum wage .

The federal minimum wage has been stuck at $7.25 an hour since July 24, 2009, and tomorrow, in a national day of action in more than 30 cities across the country, a broad coalition of labor, faith, civil rights, community and policy activists will call on Congress to raise the minimum wage.

Click here to sign our petition asking Congress to raise the minimum wage.

You may have heard by now about the McDonald's budgeting tool that assumes people only pay $20 for health insurance and doesn't account for food, gas or other living expenses. 

Want some truth with those fries? Want to super size it? McDonald's this week is being mocked (rightfully so) for its nonsensical budget tool that assumes a person has two jobs (sure, who doesn't these days?), pays $20 a month for health care and $0 for heating. Don't rub your eyes, that's a big fat zero. Oh, and the budget also ignores food, child care, gas and other obvious necessities.

While the Great Recession started only a few years ago, journalist and playwright Barbara Garson argues that “the trouble actually started decades earlier.”

In a  piece for the Los Angeles Times , Garson tells America's workers to do their patriotic duty and ask for a raise.

Many of us and our families have felt the pinch of stagnant wages during the past several years, and a  new study shows  that while real wages (adjusted for inflation) fell by 2.8% across the board between 2009 and 2012, low- and middle-wage workers—especially women—took the brunt of the hit.  

The Economic Policy Institute (EPI) has released a lot of important research about the economy in the last few weeks.  Here's a look at some of the key pieces it uncovered about the U.S. economy.