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Women are accused of
caring more about the quality and satisfaction of their jobs than their
salaries. Does that mean they should be paid 25% less than men for that
priority? They are. If that makes you angry, call or write your State
Senator, Assemblymember and Governor Pataki. (The Governor neglects to
state his position on equal pay.) Tell them it’s unacceptable that
legislative action to end the wage gap is stalled.
THE WAGE GAP
Women who work full-time,
year-round earn 73% of what men earn. More than half of all women work in
jobs dominated by women; low-paid sales, clerical and service jobs. The
2000 census data show median annual earnings for full time male workers
was $37,339; female, $27,355. It’s worse for men and women of color.
Median annual earnings for black men was $30,409; black women: $25,117.
Latino men: $24,638; Latina women: $20,527. The more an occupation is
dominated by women and/or people of color, the less it pays.
AGAINST EQUAL PAY LAW?
Part of the wage gap
results from differences in education, experience or time in the
workforce, but 15 to 20% of the wage gap is due to discrimination.
Discrimination is against the law, but hard to prove. The problem is
Equal Pay Law. It doesn’t work for people in sex or race segregated
occupations. We must demand equal pay for work of equal value or
pay equity. Employers can compute salaries for different “male” and
“female” job titles by evaluating and comparing the skills, effort,
responsibilities and working conditions each job title requires.
IMPACT ON FAMILIES AND RETIREMENT
The wage gap is not only a
women’s issue. It’s primarily a family issue. Women provide half
or more of the family income for more than two-thirds of American
families. And, it’s a retirement issue! Social security benefits are
based on the accumulation of lifetime earnings...the lower the earnings,
the lower the benefits.
ARE YOU IN A WAGE GAP OCCUPATION?
Check your own occupation
for wage gap data at any of the following websites: National Committee
on Pay Equity
www.feminist.com/fairpay, Institute for Women’s Policy Research,
www.iwpr.org , the AFL-CIO,
www.aflcio.org/women. For example, AFL-CIO reports the following
gender wage gaps: office clerks 16%, data entry 19%, health aides 12%,
insurance sales 35% and accountants 25%.
REMEDIES
Bills in the NY State
Legislature can help remedy the wage gap, but they have been stalled in
committee.
www.senate.state.ny.us and
www.assembly.state.ny.us (Click on “Pay Equity Bills” for more
information.) In Congress, a bill to expand the Equal Pay Act to include
equal pay for work of equal value is called the Fair Pay Act. Another
bill, the Paycheck Fairness Act establishes more effective remedies for
workers who receive unequal pay. Those bills are also stalled in
committee.
MAKE YOUR CALLS ON (OR ABOUT) APRIL 16TH
Community grass roots
action by individuals really counts! Calls and letters help convince
lawmakers that their constituents demand fairness in equal pay law. Also
talk to your co-workers. Join together to bring fair pay issues to your
employer or union contract negotiators. Tell employers that wage fairness
is sound personnel policy and in a company’s best interests. Please mark
your calendar. Make April 16th a powerful day in the campaign
for pay equity.
Editors Note: For more information email
Women On The Job @
wojtf@juno.com Or call (516) 883-1691.
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