Karla
Walter

Senior Fellow, Inclusive Economy

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Karla Walter is a senior fellow for Inclusive Economy at the Center for American Progress Action Fund. Walter focuses primarily on improving the economic security of American workers by increasing workers’ wages and benefits, promoting workplace protections, and advancing workers’ rights at work. Prior to joining American Progress, Walter was a research analyst at Good Jobs First, providing support to officials, policy research organizations, and grassroots advocacy groups striving to make state and local economic development subsidies more accountable and effective. She has co-authored several studies that promote economic development policies that meet workers’ needs and advocate for greater corporate accountability. Previously, she worked as a legislative aide for Wisconsin State Rep. Jennifer Shilling. Her work has been referenced in The New York Times and other newspapers. Walter earned a master’s degree in urban planning and policy from the University of Illinois at Chicago.

To view the work of the American Worker Project, click here.

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5 Reasons Automakers Must Provide Good Jobs and Lower Vehicle Emissions Article

5 Reasons Automakers Must Provide Good Jobs and Lower Vehicle Emissions

In the face of demands for better jobs and stronger health protections, some automakers claim they can’t improve job quality and lower vehicle emissions—but they have the resources to support middle-class-led economic growth and clean up their vehicle fleets.

the Center for American Progress

Leo Banks, Karla Walter, Anona Neal

How Project Labor Agreements and Community Workforce Agreements Are Good for the Biden Administration’s Investment Agenda Report

How Project Labor Agreements and Community Workforce Agreements Are Good for the Biden Administration’s Investment Agenda

Project labor agreements and community workforce agreements are time-tested tools that can support good value and good jobs on projects funded by the new federal economic investments.

the Center for American Progress

Aurelia Glass, Karla Walter

4 Job Quality Questions All Applicants for New Federal Funds Should Answer Report

4 Job Quality Questions All Applicants for New Federal Funds Should Answer

States, cities, and private sector applicants can improve their chances of winning new federal support through the Inflation Reduction Act, Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, and CHIPS and Science Act by demonstrating that their proposals will create good jobs for working people from all walks of life.

the Center for American Progress

Karla Walter

Public and Private Investments Are Poised To Transform Michigan Report

Public and Private Investments Are Poised To Transform Michigan

The historic home of the automotive industry, Michigan, stands to benefit from major infrastructure improvements and new plants for manufacturing electric vehicle batteries, especially if it incorporates public input and builds worker power to grow the middle class.

the Center for American Progress

David Ballard, Lily Roberts, Marina Zhavoronkova, 4 More Kevin DeGood, Emily Gee, Jessica Vela, Karla Walter

How States and Unions Can Partner To Build the Public Sector Workforce Report

How States and Unions Can Partner To Build the Public Sector Workforce

Partnering with unions to train public sector workers helps states uphold high-quality standards; connect with and recruit from local communities; and address the nation’s public sector hiring challenges.

the Center for American Progress

Karla Walter

5 Policy Priorities for the Federal Aviation Administration Reauthorization Article

5 Policy Priorities for the Federal Aviation Administration Reauthorization

The reauthorization of Federal Aviation Administration programs should provide dedicated funding for reducing greenhouse gas emissions from airplanes and airports, an increase in the Passenger Facility Charge, and decent wages and benefits for airport service workers.

the Center for American Progress

Kevin DeGood, Karla Walter

How historic infrastructure investments can benefit women workers In the News

How historic infrastructure investments can benefit women workers

Karla Walter partnered with Sharita Gruberg to break down the potential long-lasting benefits for women in manufacturing due to President Joe Biden’s historic economic legislation.

The Hill

Sharita Gruberg, Karla Walter

New Opportunities for the Biden-Harris Administration To Create Good Jobs for LGBTQI+ Workers In the News

New Opportunities for the Biden-Harris Administration To Create Good Jobs for LGBTQI+ Workers

For decades, the U.S. economy has left LGBTQI+ individuals and their families behind, but the Biden-Harris administration can use its existing authority to uplift LGBTQI+ workers.

the Center for American Progress

Aurelia Glass, Sharita Gruberg, Caroline Medina, 1 More Karla Walter

The Clean Economy Revolution Will Be Unionized: A Road Map From States on Creating Good, Union Jobs To Build the Clean Energy Economy Article

The Clean Economy Revolution Will Be Unionized: A Road Map From States on Creating Good, Union Jobs To Build the Clean Energy Economy

State and local progress can inform federal action to support high-quality, union jobs building the clean economy.

Center for American Progress

Rita Cliffton, Malkie Wall, Sam Ricketts, 3 More Kevin Lee, Jessica Eckdish, Karla Walter

Higher Pay For Caregivers In the News

Higher Pay For Caregivers

Karla Walter explores how higher home care wages reduce economic hardship and improve recruitment and retention.

SEIU 775

SEIU 775, Karla Walter

Service Contract Workers Deserve Good Jobs Report
 (A custodial worker buffs the marble floors of the Cannon House Office Building in the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., March 2015.)

Service Contract Workers Deserve Good Jobs

President Biden is using his executive authority to build power and improve the lives of contract workers; he can do even more to raise standards for service workers.

Karla Walter, Anastasia Christman

A How-To Guide for Strengthening State and Local Prevailing Wage Laws Article

A How-To Guide for Strengthening State and Local Prevailing Wage Laws

Authors Karla Walter, Malkie Wall, and Alex Rowell provide a road map for state and local policymakers working to create or strengthen prevailing wage laws, explain core features of prevailing wage legislation, and lift up existing best practices from around the county.

Center for American Progress

Karla Walter, Malkie Wall, Alex Rowell

Federal Contracting Doesn’t Go Far Enough To Protect American Workers Report
A worker cleans steps prior to the arrival of the casket of late Supreme Court Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg at the U.S. Capitol, September 2020, in Washington. (Getty/Jonathan Ernst-Pool)

Federal Contracting Doesn’t Go Far Enough To Protect American Workers

By fixing problems in the federal contracting system, the Biden administration can raise standards for millions of workers, provide law-abiding companies the opportunity to compete on an even playing field, and ensure that taxpayers receive good value.

Karla Walter

Electric Vehicles Should Be a Win for American Workers Article

Electric Vehicles Should Be a Win for American Workers

The authors argue that federal policymakers must invest in domestic electric vehicle production and deployment now in order to support high-quality American jobs, cut greenhouse gas emissions over the long term, and ensure national competitiveness in a key area of growth.

Center for American Progress

Karla Walter, Trevor Higgins, Bidisha Bhattacharyya, 2 More Malkie Wall, Rita Cliffton

Getting Americans Back to Work and Good Jobs Article

Getting Americans Back to Work and Good Jobs

Karla Walter outlines key steps that must be taken to ensure that pandemic-response infrastructure investments create high-quality jobs for all working Americans.

Center for American Progress

Karla Walter

Quality Workforce Partnerships Article

Quality Workforce Partnerships

Livia Lam and Karla Walter detail quality workforce partnerships.

Center for American Progress

Livia Lam, Karla Walter

Public Sector Training Partnerships Build Power Article

Public Sector Training Partnerships Build Power

Karla Walter explains how public sector training partnerships both raise standards for workers and taxpayers and strengthen unions.

Center for American Progress

Karla Walter

Forced Arbitration: What You Need To Know Article

Forced Arbitration: What You Need To Know

This Center for American Progress video explains why forced arbitration agreements make it harder for workers and consumers to challenge predatory practices, wage theft, and discrimination.

Center for American Progress

Malkie Wall, Karla Walter, Andy Green

Infrastructure Investment Must Create Good Jobs for All Article

Infrastructure Investment Must Create Good Jobs for All

Author Karla Walter describes how federal lawmakers can support America’s 21st-century competitiveness by ensuring that any federal infrastructure plan invests in good jobs.

Center for American Progress

Karla Walter

Building Progressive Infrastructure: How Infrastructure Investments Can Create Jobs, Strengthen Communities, and Tackle the Climate Crisis Article

Building Progressive Infrastructure: How Infrastructure Investments Can Create Jobs, Strengthen Communities, and Tackle the Climate Crisis

Kevin DeGood, Alison Cassady, Karla Walter, and Rejane Frederick discuss the important pieces of a progressive infrastructure bill.

Center for American Progress

Kevin DeGood, Alison Cassady, Karla Walter, 1 More Rejane Frederick

The Freedom to Leave Article

The Freedom to Leave

Karla Walter outlines why restricting noncompete agreements and banning no-poaching agreements can boost workers' pay and freedom in the economy.

Center for American Progress

Karla Walter

New NLRB rule undermines American workers In the News

New NLRB rule undermines American workers

Author Karla Walter explains how a new National Labor Relations Board rule threatens to to undermine joint-employer liability safeguards.

The Hill

Karla Walter

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