From Moms Rising (https://www.momsrising.org/):
We recently passed another kind of Mother’s Day. The kind where you might want to bang your head on your desk because it’s Moms’ Equal Pay Day. Yup, that one…again – the day marking how far into 2018 that all moms in the United States must work to earn what white dads made in 2017 alone. That’s right – 5 EXTRA MONTHS!!!!
It takes much more than flowers and chocolate to make up for that wage gap.
And to make matters worse, instead of helping our nation move forward to close the gender wage gap, the Trump administration put an indefinite hold on an important Equal Opportunity Employment Commission (EEOC) data collection initiative which was started by President Obama. [1] The initiative would have increased transparency around wages and prevented race and gender pay gaps from getting swept under the rug.
TAKE ACTION: Go to https://action.momsrising.org/sign/moms-equal-pay-day_2018/ to tell the EEOC to move forward with an equal pay data collection tool! We literally can’t afford not to.
Here’s the deal: While in office, President Obama moved forward several measures to advance equal pay, but now President Trump is stopping them from moving forward even though studies show that one of the best ways to ensure equal pay is to increase transparency around wages and prevent race and gender gaps from getting swept under the rug. Specifically, last August, (just months after last year’s Moms’ Equal Pay Day) the Trump administration’s Office of Management and Budget (OMB) blocked an important equal pay initiative that President Obama started – the EEO-1 equal pay data collection – which requires large corporations to report pay data by race, ethnicity, and gender to the EEOC. [2]
It’s nothing short of outrageous that right now, today, working moms earn just 71 cents to a white dad’s dollar. But, that stat doesn’t even tell the whole story, so let’s break it down.
On average this is the breakout for what moms are paid compared to white dads: [3]
- Latina moms earn 46 cents
- Native American moms earn 49 cents
- Black moms earn 54 cents
- White moms earn 69 cents
- Asian-American and Pacific Islander moms earn 85 cents on average (with some AAPI subgroups experiencing gaps as big as 51 cents to a man’s dollar)
- Single moms earn 57 cents
And no, unfair pay isn’t women’s “fault” as many have asserted over the years. In fact, wage differences within the same occupation make up most of the pay gap between men and women. [4] A Harvard University study found, for instance, that after controlling for age, race, hours and education, women who are doctors and surgeons earn 71 percent of men’s wages; and women who are financial specialists make 66 percent of what male financial specialists earn. [5]
There’s a pattern in all those stats and a wake-up call in the numbers that can’t be ignored!
URGE THE EEOC to move forward with an equal pay data collection tool!
Moms’ Equal Pay Day is about lifting up how the wage gap impacts all of us. And it’s an important day to join together because we are an incredibly powerful force together. This is our moment to rise.
Momentum is growing. Already this year, Washington State passed the Equal Pay Opportunity Act which moved forward paycheck transparency, addressed gendered job tracking, and more. [6] New Jersey followed by passing one of the strongest equal pay bills in the nation – and 38 additional states are considering equal pay legislation this year. [7]
Many states and businesses are doing their part to help close the wage gap but the Administration and the EEOC must still act. We can’t end pay discrimination and close wage gaps if employers can hide the fact they are paying women and people of color unfairly. The EEOC needs to know that we support equal pay and pay data collection.
And please also share the action link on Twitter, Facebook, and forward this email too. The more people who take action, the bigger the impact we’ll have together.
Together we’re a powerful force for women and families.
[1] CNBC: Why Trump Suspended An Obama Administration Wage Gap Initiative [2] Economic Policy Institute: Repeal of Pay Transparency Rule Will Make it Easier to Discriminate Against Women and People of Color [3] NWLC: Equal Pay for Mothers Is Critical for Families [4,5] American Economic Review [6] Bloomberg News: Workforce Gender Equality Bill Enacted in Washington State [7] New Jersey.com: NJ is close to creating the strongest pay equality law in America
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