April 8 symbolizes the point into the new year that a woman must work to earn the salary paid to a man in the previous calendar year. Equal pay is the number one concern for working women today, says Susan Bianchi-Sand, executive director of the National Committee on Pay Equity. NCPE coordinates the national observance of Equal Pay Day. On Equal Pay Day, women across the nation stand together to demand the respect that comes with a fair paycheck, Bianchi-Sand says. And men participate too, because they want their wives, daughters, and friends to be treated fairly.
Union membership is key to improving wages.
Collective bargaining is a system that works for women. Pay inequity is a kitchen table issue, Alexis Herman, the U.S. secretary of labor, believes. Equal pay is essential to attracting good workers and keeping America competitive in this global economy. America s 63 million working women represent nearly half of the country s workforce, but account for 66 percent of minimum wage workers. Women also predominate in part-time jobs.