In recognition of Equal Pay Day, which CNN reports is observed this year on March 12, WNBPA President Nneka Ogwumike called attention to how the issue of equal pay uniquely affects the women workers in the WNBA. Ogwumike posted a graphic calling attention to the need for the WNBA’s workers to remain transparent about what they make, followed by a direct quote from the WNBPA.
“The purpose of Equal Pay Day is to raise awareness to the gap that exists between men’s & women’s wages,” the quote reads. “It’s observed today to mark the current state of the gender pay gap for women: 84% for full-time & year-round workers, 78% for all workers.”
According to AAUW, “the goal of Equal Pay Days is to raise awareness about the ongoing gender pay gap and how the pay gap varies significantly among different communities, particularly for women of color.”
There has been some action, notably on the state level, aimed at helping to alleviate the pay equity problem. This has led to a push for more comprehensive federal action, such as the Salary Transparency Act and the Paycheck Fairness Act, two bills that have been introduced in the U.S. House and Senate on multiple occasions. Deborah Vagins, the national campaign director of Equal Rights Advocates and the director of Equal Pay Today, told CNN that these federal actions are critical to getting women actual pay equity sooner rather than later.
According to Equal Pay Today, the Paycheck Fairness Act, in particular, contains significant protections for those impacted by the gender pay gap. That act in particular would “bar retaliation against workers who voluntarily discuss or disclose their wages; close loopholes that have allowed employers to pay women less than men for the same work … [and] ensure women can receive the same robust remedies for sex-based pay discrimination that are currently available to those subjected to discrimination based on race and ethnicity.”
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Source: Black Enterprise