Despite pandemic pledges, only 1 of 22 major companies paid workers a living wage, report finds

Shortly before the coronavirus exploded around the U.S., CEOs of 180 major American companies vowed to do better by their employees and communities. Instead of putting profits for shareholders above all other corporate interests, members of the Business Roundtable declared a "fundamental commitment to all of our stakeholders" — specifically, that meant investing in workers and ensuring they are "compensated fairly." 

Nearly three years later, many companies are failing to deliver on that commitment, according to a recent analysis from the Brookings Institution. Despite offering worker public praise and modest wage increases, these companies rewarded shareholders far more generously, the researchers concluded. 

The centrist think tank evaluated 22 leading companies that together employ 7 million American workers. The list includes retailers Amazon, Best Buy, CVS, Target and Walmart; grocers Albertsons, Costco and Kroger; hotel chains Hilton and Marriott; and restaurant chains Chipotle, McDonald's and Starbucks.