The Keystone Research Center advances a more prosperous and equitable Pennsylvania economy through original research and policy analysis, strategic communications, advocacy and coalitions.

KRC not only documents problems such as economic inequality but also offers forward-looking solutions and an integrated, practical vision of how Pennsylvania could achieve an economy that works for all.

Since 1996, working with many partners, KRC’s impacts have included:

• Highlighting that labor union growth is essential to restoring shared prosperity and providing strategic research to union organizing and contract campaigns.
• Crafting the “Pennsylvania Promise” free college tuition proposal that has been introduced as legislation, with a pilot program passing the PA House in 2023.
• Catalyzing, shaping, and helping to implement reforms of PA workforce development based on investing in industry partnerships and apprenticeship.
• Creating fact sheets—showing the 1-year and 7-year benefits by school district of phasing in adequate K-12 education funding—that helped achieve historic investments in quality schools for all.
• Creating and co-directing a four-state (PA, OH, WV, KY) campaign, ReImagine Appalachia (RA), that highlights the good union jobs that can result from investing in reducing carbon emissions. RA’s and KRC’s advocacy—along with many others—helped win historic investment in climate action.
• Partnering to increase PA drawdowns of federal climate $, including a $396 million industrial decarbonization grant with strong labor standards that will create good union jobs.
• Documenting the growing diversity of apprentices in joint labor-management construction apprentices in PA and partnering with building trades unions to expand best practices for diversifying the pipeline to union construction careers.
• Building the case for fair taxation in Pennsylvania and in Pittsburgh.
• Documenting the lack of evidence that private school vouchers improve K-12 educational outcomes.
• Providing fact sheets showing the number and demographics of workers who would benefit from a higher minimum wage, contributing to a 2006 increase and making the case for a $15 per hour minimum wage today.
• Providing research and communications support to campaigns for earned sick leave in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh.