Antonio Farias let me know about the work of Krystal-Gayle O’Neill, an Area Coordinator, who is helping to draw attention to “Equal Pay Day,” which is being observed this week. Here’s what she writes about it:
Tuesday, April 12, 2016, is the national observance of Equal Pay Day, the day when women and men around the country recognize the wage gap between working women and men, and offer remedies to address pay inequity. According to statistics released in 2014 by the United States Census Bureau, women are paid, on average, 79 cents for every dollar their male counterparts are paid – a gap of 21 cents.
Here in Connecticut, working women do a little better than the national average. They are paid about 83 cents on the dollar compared to men. That’s hardly a cause for celebration, when women and their families are being shortchanged thousands of dollars a year and hundreds of thousands of dollars over a lifetime. With more families relying on women’s paychecks for their livelihood, the US must address the wage gap for the sake of American families and their financial stability.
How can you show your solidarity – wear red on equal pay day.
Visit the Women at Wes webpage for more information on events related to this one.