March 2009

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  A History of the Wage Gap
In honor of Women's History Month and the recent passing of the Fair Pay Restoration Act


by Borgna Brunner

Rosie the Riveter: Patriotic and Underpaid
Because of the large number of American women taking jobs in the war industries during World War II,  the National War Labor Board urged employers in 1942 to voluntarily make "adjustments which equalize wage or salary rates paid to females with the rates paid to males for comparable quality and quantity of work on the same or similar operations." This request was not heeded.

Help wanted—Separate and Unequal
Until the early 1960s, newspapers published separate job listings for men and women. Jobs were categorized according to sex, with the higher level jobs listed almost exclusively under "Help Wanted—Male." In some cases the ads ran identical jobs under male and female listings—but with separate pay scales. Between 1950 and 1960, women with full time jobs earned on average between 59–64 cents for every dollar their male counterparts earned in the same job.

It wasn't until the passage of the Equal Pay Act on June 10, 1963 (effective June 11, 1964) that it became illegal to pay women lower rates for the same job strictly on the basis of their sex. Demonstrable differences in seniority, merit, the quality or quantity of work, or other considerations might merit different pay, but gender could not.

The Courts Nix the "Going Market Rate" for Women
The act was gradually expanded over the next decade to include a larger segment of the workforce, and between June 1964 and Jan. 1971 back wages totaling more than $26 million were paid to 71,000 women.

Two landmark court cases served to strengthen and further define the Equal Pay Act:

  • Schultz v. Wheaton Glass Co. (1970), U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
    Ruled that jobs need to be "substantially equal" but not "identical" to fall under the protection of the Equal Pay Act. An employer cannot, for example, change the job titles of women workers in order to pay them less than men.
  • Corning Glass Works v. Brennan (1974), U.S. Supreme Court
    Ruled that employers cannot justify paying women lower wages because that is what they traditionally received under the "going market rate." A wage differential occurring "simply because men would not work at the low rates paid women" was unacceptable.

Since these cases, the wage gap has narrowed, but it is still significant. Women earned 59% of the wages men earned in 1963; in 2005 they earned 81% of men's wages.

Why Such a Wide Wage Gap After Nearly Four Decades?
A variety of explanations for the persistent wage gap have been offered. One is that older women are factored into the wage gap equation, and many of these women from an older generation work in jobs still subject to the attitudes and conditions of the past. In contrast, the rates for young women coming of age in the 1990s reflect women's social and legal advances. In 2005, for example, women under 25 working full-time earned 93.2% of men's salaries compared to those 25 and older, who earned 79.4% of what men made.

Equal Pay in the Millennium?
In 2009, President Obama signed the Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Restoration Act, which allows victims of pay discrimination to file a complaint with the government against their employer within 180 days of their last paycheck. Previously, victims were only allowed 180 days from the date of the first unfair paycheck. This Act is named after a former employee of Goodyear who alleged that she was paid 15-40 percent less than her male counterparts, which was later found to be accurate.

Women have made enormous progress in the workforce since the Equal Pay Act, but the stubborn fact remains that four-and-a-half decades later the basic goal of the act has not been realized.

 

 

The rising phenomenon of grandparents raising their grandchildren has lead the YWCA to partner with this stellar organization, Grandparents as Parents (GAP) to respond to the growing need for support to grandparents acting as parents.

GAP is a support program for grandparents that includes emergency referral for food, crisis counseling and support groups.  Our groups are very casual, non-threatening and non-judgmental.  We offer complete anonymity and a safe place to talk, cry or just listen.

There is no cost for this safe place.  Come and share your experience and concerns.

When:  Every Wednesday from 10:30 to 12:30pm @ the YWCA facility.
Call Ayana Rose for more info 626-296-8433.

Pasadena Elections are March 10th.  Find out where your polling station is here.

On the council, seats in Districts 3, 5 and 7 will be voted on, with longtime  Councilman Chris Holden running unopposed in District 3, and District 5 incumbent, Councilman Victor Gordo, opposing political newcomer Tarince Tyler.  District 7 Councilman, Sid Tyler, decided not to run for re-election after three terms on the Council.  Five people are vying for this seat — Terry Tornek, Ciran Hadjian, John Walsh, Gary Ettl and Margaret York.

Four seats on the Pasadena Unified School District are open. Charles Nelson and Ramon Miramontes are running for Seat 5, held currently by Esteban “Steve” Lizardo. Incumbent Seat 3 Board member, Scott Phelps, is running for re-election against school counselor Terri Darr, and Board incumbent Ed Honowitz is running unopposed to retain Seat 7. Elizabeth Pomeroy is running unopposed to replace retiring Seat 1 Board member Alexander “Mike” Babcock. 

 

fitness. education.
support. advocacy.

Our Parent Education, Dance and Pilates Classes are in full swing at the YWCA.  Limited space is still available.  Just because you did not make the first one class does not mean you can't jump in now.

Go to our website to find out more at
www.ywca-pasadena.org and if you still want to enroll, call Ayana Rose, Program Director at 626-296-8433 or email her at arose@ywca-pasadena.org

Don't Forget to Sign Up!
Financial Literacy Program
This program will cover everything from budgeting and managing debt to investing and estate planning.

This 10-week program is for women 15 and older.
Begins: Monday, March 16 from 6-7pm @ the YWCA
Cost: $10/class, limited scholarships available

 

New York Post Apologizes 

Five days after the New York Post ran a racially charged cartoon in its paper, the owner of the paper, Rupert Murdoch, issued an apology.  In his apology Mr. Murdoch stated, “Last week we made a mistake. We ran a cartoon that offended many people. Today I want to personally apologize to any reader who felt offended, and even insulted.”

The cartoon, created by editorial cartoonist Sean Delonas, ran in the Wednesday, February 18, issue of the Post. The cartoon depicted two police officers who shot a monkey and the cartoon caption read, “They’ll have to find someone else to write the next stimulus bill.” In response to the cartoon the YWCA issued a press release, wrote a letter to the Editor of the paper and mobilized our members to call on the Post to issue an apology.

Thank you to all YWCA activists who took action on this issue. Congratulations on a win!

  Do you know
"What's the Difference?"

What are your thoughts? If you would like to contribute to the blog with an original post, please email Community Outreach Coordinator, Ashley Phillips, at ashley@ywca-pasadena.org 

We want to hear from you? If you haven't checked out what has already been posted, check it out here www.ywcapasadena.blogspot.com and make comments at the end of the post by clicking on the word 'comment.'

While at the site, remember to subscribe to the blog so that the updates come to you.

 

 
Donate Online NOW!

Your contribution to the YWCA Pasadena-Foothill Valley allows us to continue to offer our community:

  • Just For Girls enrichment and development program for the school aged young women of Pasadena.
  • Racial Justice work in our community.
  • Community Building efforts through public dialogue and our program initiatives.
  • Ensuring that women from all walks of life have a voice in our city, region and nation.
Your generosity ensures that we cultivate the next entrepreneur, the next engineer, the next scientist, or the next U.S. Speaker of the House!


 
How Can I Get Involved?
  • Volunteer. We are always recruiting women and girls to join a committee or to volunteer in the office.
    Contact the Program Office    .
  • Make a gift of stock, real estate, or money.
    Contact the Development Office    .
  • Join the Racial Justice Committee. Be a part of the conversation.
    Contact Denise Jones,     Chair.
  • Contribute a brief article to our blog, "What's the Difference?"
    Contact Ashley Phillips    , Community Outreach Coordinator

What is White Privilege?

compiled and written by Bill DeTally

White Privilege is …  

 

….an invisible package of unearned assets which a white person can count on cashing in every day, but about which that person is oblivious.

 …..whites are carefully conditioned not to recognize white privilege.

White privilege includes the unquestioned, unearned, most often unconscious advantages, entitlements, benefits, choices, assumptions, and expectations given to white people based solely on membership in the culturally dominant white group.

When white people understand this concept and the reality of white privilege, it doesn't feel very good. Guilt, shame, denial and defensiveness often accompany the first recognition of one's privilege.

White privilege is not something that can be given up, given back or "turned off."

There are a lot of daily circumstances and conditions that white people can count on and that people of color can not count on.

White privilege has the potential to be a powerful tool in dismantling racism, if (or when) white people adopt a "passion for justice" and learn to spend white privilege with integrity – challenging racist structures, attitudes, and institutions."

~~ Join the Discussion, Join the Committee ~~
If discussing these issues and responding to them interests you, we would love to have you join our Racial Justice Committee.  We meet every 4th Wednesday at the YWCA.  For more details, please contact Denise Jones, our committee chair, or Ashley Phillips at the YWCA office at 626-296-8433.