Support equal pay for women
On April 25, 2006 women from throughout the country will have finally earned what their male counterparts made on December 31, 2005. In Pennsylvania, a woman makes 77 cents for every $1a man makes. On Tuesday, April 25 (Equal Pay Day), members from the Business & Professional Women’s Clubs of Pennsylvania will join forces with state Sen. Jane Orie (R-40) in the Rotunda of the State Capitol in Harrisburg to draw attention to the persistent gap in wages between men and women, and to show support for national efforts to close the wage gap. Orie has introduced a Senate resolution in support of recognizing April 25 as Equal Pay Day in the Commonwealth. Carolyn Marconis, Esq., BPW/PA President, will be one of the prominent statewide women’s representatives addressing the attendees at the press conference and rally.
According to the AFL-CIO, over a 40-year career, the average 25-year-old woman who works full time will earn approximately $500,000 less than the average man.
Here in Fayette County, the Fayette County commissioners will be issuing a proclamation acknowledging April 25t as Equal Pay Day.
In nearby Morgantown, W.Va., the Morgantown BPW club will be conducting a march through the downtown area on High Avenue beginning at 4:30 p.m. on April 25.
We are urging all members of the business community to review their pay practices to ensure that women are not discriminated against in our area by conducting an equal pay self-audit provided by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Women’s Bureau.
Denice Robinson, BPW/PA president-elect
Uniontown