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Black Women’s Equal Pay Day is the approximate day a Black woman must work into the new year to make what a white non-Hispanic man made by the end of the previous year. This year, the date falls on August 3rd—in other words, it took the average Black woman, working full-time year-round, an 8 extra months to earn what the average white non-Hispanic man earned in the year prior. Based on ACS Census data, the 2021 wage gap was $0.37—or for every $0.63 a Black women earned, non-Hispanic white men earned a dollar. (National Today)
According to the Economic Policy Institute (EPI), studies show that “Black-white wage gaps are large and have gotten worse in the last 20 years,” EPI economist Elise Gould wrote in a blog post last year. “Even Black workers with an advanced degree experience a significant wage gap compared with their white counterparts.” (Tucker)
25 years ago, in 1996, an organization called the National Committee on Pay Equity declared the first observation of Equal Pay Day. Sadly, we are still fighting to this day for pay equity and paycheck fairness. Your Union, the IAM, ensures that all workers are paid equally by bargaining fair and collective bargaining agreements. But we don’t stop there. We continue to push for pay equity and paycheck fairness on legislative agendas at the state and federal levels. Thankfully, the new administration is expected to focus on workplace equity issues, and President Joe Biden has indicated that closing wage gaps and ending paycheck discrimination will be priorities.
Want to help fight for equal pay? Join a constituency group like the Coalition of Labor Union Women (CLUW). The IAM works with CLUW to fight together on women’s issues, including Equal Pay for all Women.
References:
National Today, National Black Women’s Equal Pay Day – August 3,2021 retrieved from: https://nationaltoday.com/national-black-womens-equal-pay-day/
Tucker, Michael, How to Ensure Pay Equity for People of Color (3/11/21) Retrieved from: https://www.shrm.org/hr-today/news/hr-magazine/spring2021/Pages/pay-equity-for-people-of-color.aspx
#BlackWomensEqualPay Day 2021, http://www.equalpaytoday.org/black-womens-equal-pay-day-2021
