Yankee Institute's Right-Wing, Anti-Worker Funding and Policies Denounced

Decrying the anti-worker and divisive role of Yankee Institute over 40 years, Rob Baril president of 1199 NE SEIU declared that the policies and lobbying by the corporate think tank have hurt working people and the state of Connecticut. Giving a practical example, he cited the fact that while one of two women of color make less than $15 an hour, the Yankee Institute lobbied against raising the minimum wage, paid family leave and an end to captive audience meetings.

“When these women joined the union they moved into livable wages and benefits toward the American Dream,” said Baril adding that “the Yankee Institute, funded by billionaires pushing right-wing policy across the country, should not be considered reputable.”.

His remarks opened a press conference organized by the Recovery for All coalition, announcing two new reports examining Yankee Institute policies and funding sources.

Maggie Corser, senior research analyst at the Center for Popular Democracy said Yankee Institute has received $3.2 million from Donors Capital Fund and Donors Trust which have given thousands of grants to extreme right organizations around the country including hate groups.

While portraying themselves as local, she said, they are an affiliate of State Policy Network a nationally funded network connected to ALEC that develops anti-worker legislation across the country.

“Yankee Institute advances the Koch brothers agenda to impose minority views on the majority,” said Liz Dupont-Diehl representing the Connecticut Citizens Action Group. “They spread misinformation and divide working families.”

The first report details the Yankee Institute’s advocacy for austerity policies that harm working families in Connecticut, especially working families of color, and widen the state’s extreme inequalities, pursuing policies “ to slash the taxes paid by the state’s wealthiest individuals and corporations, while cutting services for working people.”

Asked to elaborate on the impact of Yankee Institute, Baril replied, “People who earn $28,000 or less pay a 24 % tax rate.  The wealthiest who earn $8.2 million plus pay a 6% tax rate.  As long as working people Black, brown and white, continue to struggle for wages, education, housing, health care and every social need we say Yankee Institute has too much impact.”

Rep. Robyn Porter, co-chair of the Labor Committee, added that “billionaires made a trillion more in wealth in the past two years at the same time that caregivers' children are not getting enough to eat because they could not afford food and 100,000 are not caught up on rent.”

 

Porter emphasized, “Yankee Institute is only successful because they have the money to push their austerity message. Connecticut needs a real recovery for all to realize the American Dream not an American Nightmare.”

The reports are available at: https://www.recoveryforallct.com/reports