Good Jobs First

Good Jobs First
Name	Good Jobs First
Formation	1998
Type	Nonprofit research and advocacy
Headquarters	United States
Key people	Bob Gnaizda; Greg LeRoy
Focus	Corporate accountability; subsidy transparency; labor standards

Good Jobs First is a nonprofit research and advocacy organization focused on corporate accountability, public subsidy transparency, and labor standards in the United States. It produces databases, investigative reports, and policy tools intended to expose subsidy practices, track economic development incentives, and promote enforcement of labor and environmental safeguards. The organization works with community groups, labor unions, watchdogs, and policymakers to influence fiscal oversight and corporate behavior.

History and founding

Good Jobs First was founded in 1998 by policy advocates and legal strategists with backgrounds connected to Public Citizen, AFL–CIO, ACORN, Brennan Center for Justice, and progressive legal networks. Early leadership included figures associated with Consumer Federation of America and the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. The founding occurred amid debates over subsidy incentives promoted by entities such as the Economic Development Administration and state Departments of Commerce (United States), paralleling controversies like the Amazon HQ2 competition and the relocation incentives offered during the Interstate highway system-era industrial shifts. Founders engaged with coalitions including Citizens for Tax Justice, Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, and regional partners in states such as California, New York (state), and Illinois to design transparency tools and model ordinances.

Mission and activities

Good Jobs First’s mission emphasizes accountability for economic development subsidies and fairness in employment practices, aligning with advocacy strands seen in organizations such as SEIU, United Steelworkers, National Employment Law Project, and Jobs with Justice. Activities include compiling subsidy databases, advising municipal watchdogs akin to Sunlight Foundation efforts, and litigating or supporting litigation strategies comparable to work by the ACLU on disclosure. The group collaborates with investigative journalism outlets like ProPublica, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Guardian when public records and data analysis intersect. It also engages with policy bodies including the U.S. Congress, state legislatures, municipal councils, and international forums like Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development where subsidy competition is debated.

Research and reports

Good Jobs First publishes detailed reports, scorecards, and databases that analyze incentive deals, tax abatements, bond financing, and job-quality standards. Its research methods echo data-driven practices used by Bureau of Labor Statistics, Urban Institute, RAND Corporation, and Pew Research Center. Signature products have examined corporate recipients including Walmart, Amazon (company), Tesla, Inc., Foxconn, and General Motors; policy contexts like Tax Increment Financing and Opportunity Zones (tax incentive); and sectoral shifts involving manufacturing in the Rust Belt, automotive supply chains, and biotech clusters tied to universities such as Harvard University, Stanford University, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Reports have addressed enforcement issues comparable to investigations by Government Accountability Office and analyses by Brookings Institution, and have used Freedom of Information Act requests similar to those filed with agencies like Internal Revenue Service and state revenue departments.

Policy advocacy and campaigns

Good Jobs First organizes campaigns advocating for transparency reforms, anti-piracy of subsidies, and stronger accountability mechanisms, often aligning with campaigns by Make It Right, Center for Responsible Lending, and Food & Water Watch. It promotes policies such as public registries similar to the Open Payments (Physician Payments) model, contract provisions akin to prevailing wage laws enforced under Davis–Bacon Act, and clawback provisions reminiscent of Sarbanes–Oxley Act enforcement mechanisms. Campaign partners have included National Employment Law Project, Communication Workers of America, Jobs to Move America, and municipal transparency advocates in cities like Chicago, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, and Seattle.

Notable investigations and impacts

Good Jobs First has published investigative case studies on high-profile deals that received mainstream attention, joining reportage by The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg L.P., Reuters, and CNN. Its work influenced debates over incentives for corporations such as Toyota, Boeing, Apple Inc., and Google and contributed evidence used in hearings before committees including the House Committee on Oversight and Reform and state audit offices. Outcomes attributed to its findings include adoption of public disclosure ordinances in municipalities, inclusion of clawbacks in incentive agreements like those used for Foxconn in Wisconsin negotiations, and enhanced enforcement by state auditors paralleling actions by entities such as the California State Auditor and New York State Comptroller.

Organizational structure and funding

Good Jobs First is governed by a board of directors with experience drawn from legal advocacy, labor unions, academic research, and public policy institutions; similar board compositions are found at Institute for Policy Studies and Economic Policy Institute. Funding has come from foundations and philanthropic entities active in progressive policy such as Ford Foundation, Open Society Foundations, Oak Foundation, Rockefeller Brothers Fund, and labor-affiliated sources. The organization has received grants and project support from donor collaboratives that also support groups like Center for American Progress and Demos. Staff expertise spans public finance, investigative research, and legal analysis, collaborating with external researchers at universities including Columbia University, University of Michigan, and Georgetown University.

Category:Non-profit organizations based in the United States