For Equal Pay Day—the day in 2024 a woman needs to work until to catch up to what a man made in 2023—AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler issued the following statement:
Today, as we observe Equal Pay Day, we are reminded of the persistent injustice faced by working women across our nation. It is unacceptable that for the past 20 years the gender wage gap has remained largely unchanged as big corporations and the wealthy—along with many Republicans—resisted change. But a new wave of hope and organizing is building in the fight for equality, and the labor movement knows that when working people stand together in a union we have the strength and power to demand equal pay for equal work.
The labor movement plays an integral role in fixing the gender wage gap. Women in unions earn 22% more than nonunion women; for women of color, the wage gap is essentially closed when they have a union contract. And it’s better in a union for more than just salary. A union contract also means more protection against harassment, discrimination and other abuses women routinely face on the job, as well as health and safety policies, paid leave, and retirement protections.
We remain steadfast in our efforts to close the gender pay gap once and for all. This means advocating for policies that promote pay transparency, strengthen anti-discrimination laws and ensure fair wages for all workers. It also means challenging outdated attitudes and norms that perpetuate gender stereotypes and devalue women’s contributions in the workforce. Unions are more popular now than they’ve been in generations because they’re the answer in the fight for fairness on the job, paid sick days, child care, equal pay and economic justice for women. We stand in solidarity with women everywhere who are demanding fair treatment and equal opportunities in every workplace.
Additional information:
- While women who work full time, year-round earn 84 cents for every dollar earned by a man, when part-time or seasonal jobs are included, this number drops to 78 cents.
- Asian American women working full time, year-round are paid 93 cents, and all earners (including part-time and seasonal) are paid 80 cents for every dollar paid to non-Hispanic White men.
- Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander women working full time, year-round are paid 66 cents, and all earners (including part-time and seasonal) are paid 60 cents for every dollar paid to non-Hispanic White men.
- Moms working full time, year-round are paid 74 cents, and all earners (including part-time and seasonal) are paid 62 cents for every dollar paid to dads.
- Latinas working full time, year-round are paid 57 cents, and all earners (including part-time and seasonal) are paid 52 cents for every dollar paid to non-Hispanic White men.
- Black women working full time, year-round are paid 69 cents, and all earners (including part-time and seasonal) are paid 66 cents for every dollar paid to non-Hispanic White men.
- Asian American women working full time, year-round are paid 93 cents, and all earners (including part-time and seasonal) are paid 80 cents for every dollar paid to non-Hispanic White men.
- Although women comprise just under half of the workforce in the United States, they make up two-thirds of the workforce in the 40 lowest-paying jobs, including jobs in the care, service and hospitality industries. Women also experience higher rates of poverty than men.
- Based on this wage gap, a woman, regardless of her race or ethnicity, would lose $399,600 over the course of a 40-year career, undercutting her ability to provide for her family and save for retirement.