she/her
Karla Walter is the senior director of Employment Policy at American Progress. 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.
The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act will create pathways for all Americans into U.S.-based jobs that pay decent wages and benefits.
Unions help narrow the gap between working families and the superrich.
As lawmakers debate economic recovery investments, they must ensure that all companies receiving government funding comply with job quality standards.
State and local progress can inform federal action to support high-quality, union jobs building the clean economy.
Karla Walter explores how higher home care wages reduce economic hardship and improve recruitment and retention.
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.
Policymakers can ensure that economic recovery spending benefits working Americans from all walks of life by adopting model job quality language.
Policymakers can use prevailing wages to set strong compensation rates across industries and occupations, benefitting workers and taxpayers alike.
This report provides a road map for state and local policymakers working to create or strengthen prevailing wage laws, explains core features of prevailing wage legislation, and lifts up existing best practices from around the county.
Author Karla Walter explains how the Biden administration can fix problems in the federal contracting system.
