Mark Brenner
Encyclopedia
Mark D. Brenner is a New York City
-based author, journalist and labor activist who writes on labor and workplace issues. Brenner works as co-director of Labor Notes
and was previously a professor at the University of Massachusetts Amherst
.
from the American University
in Washington, D.C.
and a Ph.D in economics
from the University of California-Riverside. He first became interested in the living wage issue when he was a graduate student in California and was part of a research team evaluating the Los Angeles
living wage ordinance.
He specializes in development
and labor economics, particularly with regard to poverty, income distribution
and low-wage labor
markets. He was a Fulbright scholar in 1998, working in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire. Brenner has consulted for the United Nations Development Program and the International Labor Organization.
Brenner was a professor of economics at the University of Massachusetts Amherst
and the Political Economy Research Institute. He left in September 2005 to join the staff of Labor Notes. Brenner spent several years working with living wage
campaigns around the country, as well as playing a leading role in his union in Massachusetts
. He currently covers SEIU, teachers, higher education, and the living wage movement.
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
-based author, journalist and labor activist who writes on labor and workplace issues. Brenner works as co-director of Labor Notes
Labor Notes
Labor Notes is a non-profit organization and network for rank-and-file union members and grassroots labor activists. Though officially titled the Labor Education and Research Project, the project is best known by the title of its monthly magazine. The magazine reports news and analysis about labor...
and was previously a professor at the University of Massachusetts Amherst
University of Massachusetts Amherst
The University of Massachusetts Amherst is a public research and land-grant university in Amherst, Massachusetts, United States and the flagship of the University of Massachusetts system...
.
Background
Brenner has a master's degree in international developmentInternational development
International development or global development is a concept that lacks a universally accepted definition, but it is most used in a holistic and multi-disciplinary context of human development — the development of greater quality of life for humans...
from the American University
American University
American University is a private, Methodist, liberal arts, and research university in Washington, D.C. The university was chartered by an Act of Congress on December 5, 1892 as "The American University", which was approved by President Benjamin Harrison on February 24, 1893...
in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
and a Ph.D in economics
Economics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
from the University of California-Riverside. He first became interested in the living wage issue when he was a graduate student in California and was part of a research team evaluating the Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
living wage ordinance.
He specializes in development
Development studies
Development studies is a multidisciplinary branch of social science which addresses issues of concern to developing countries. It has historically placed a particular focus on issues related to social and economic development, and its relevance may therefore extend to communities and regions...
and labor economics, particularly with regard to poverty, income distribution
Income distribution
In economics, income distribution is how a nation’s total economy is distributed amongst its population.Income distribution has always been a central concern of economic theory and economic policy...
and low-wage labor
Wage labour
Wage labour is the socioeconomic relationship between a worker and an employer, where the worker sells their labour under a formal or informal employment contract. These transactions usually occur in a labour market where wages are market determined...
markets. He was a Fulbright scholar in 1998, working in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire. Brenner has consulted for the United Nations Development Program and the International Labor Organization.
Brenner was a professor of economics at the University of Massachusetts Amherst
University of Massachusetts Amherst
The University of Massachusetts Amherst is a public research and land-grant university in Amherst, Massachusetts, United States and the flagship of the University of Massachusetts system...
and the Political Economy Research Institute. He left in September 2005 to join the staff of Labor Notes. Brenner spent several years working with living wage
Living wage
In public policy, a living wage is the minimum hourly income necessary for a worker to meet basic needs . These needs include shelter and other incidentals such as clothing and nutrition...
campaigns around the country, as well as playing a leading role in his union in Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
. He currently covers SEIU, teachers, higher education, and the living wage movement.
Selected books and publications
- Mark D. Brenner and Terry McKinley. Rising wealth inequality and changing social structure in rural China, 1988-95. UNU World Institute for Development Economics Research (1999)
- Mark D. Brenner; Jeannette Wicks-Linn; Robert Pollin. Measuring the Impact of Living Wage Laws: A Critical Appraisal of David Neumark's How Living Wage Laws Affect Low-Wage Workers and Low-Income Families. Working Paper Series No. 43, Political Economy Research Institute (2002)
- Keith GriffinKeith Griffin (economist)Keith B. Griffin is an economist, notable for his pioneering work on the economics of poverty reduction over more than forty years.From 1979 to 1988 he was President of Magdalen College, Oxford and he remains an honorary fellow there.-Selected publications:...
(Editor); Mark D. Brenner; Keith Griffin; Takayoshi Kusago; Amy Ickowitz; Terry McKinley. Poverty Reduction in Mongolia. Asia Pacific Press (2003) - Mark D. Brenner. The Economic Impact of Living Wage Ordinances. Working Paper 80, Political Economy Research Institute (2004)
- Mark D. Brenner, Stephanie Luce. Living Wage Laws in Practice: The Boston, New Haven and Hartford experiences (2005)
- Robert Pollin; Mark Brenner; Jeannette Wicks-Lim; Stephanie Luce. A Measure of Fairness: The Economics of Living Wages and Minimum Wages in the United States ILR Press (2008)