Women Misbehavin'

Equal Pay Day is serious business here at BPW, in fact, we’ve been trying to claw our way to fair wages since 1919 – before women even got the vote. And while there is hope that soon the Paycheck Fairness Act will become law (write your Senators!), there is still much work to be done to ensure that salaries are the same for all employees, regardless of sex.

In conjunction with the National Women’s Law Center, BPW is putting together a social media campaign to raise awareness about pay discrimination. Do your part and blog, comment on blogs, facebook it and tweet about fair pay.

Here is Kimberlee MacVicar and the Isle City of Alameda BPW‘s Equal Pay Day activities.

Equal Pay Day represents the symbolic day women finally earn what a man earned in 2008. Yes, it took a woman all of 2008 and up to April 28, 2009, to earn “equal” pay “for the same job.”

When I joined BPW in 1998, Equal Pay Day fell on April 19, thus meaning we women are losing, not gaining, ground in closing the wage gap (it’s really taking us 10 more days!!?? Thanks W.)

To raise awareness about pay equity in the community, my BPW local organization (Alameda, CA) mobilized various merchants to offer women special Equal Pay Day discounts.

We came up with this discount idea by chatting with Julie’s Coffee and Tea Garden owner, Julie Baron. I mentioned to her that Equal Pay Day was coming up and she didn’t know of that day.  So as we continued to talk we thought about asking other merchants to join her in offering discounts equal to the wage gap. She even asked her graphic designer to help create a poster (above) that is being displayed throughout the town.  We’re already hearing from people excited to take part in Equal Pay day shopping.

We hope the media coverage will be active as well and we had a full page spread in the Alameda Sun to promote this effort.

Lastly, we’re encouraging everyone in town to wear red, as women are “in the red” regarding pay equity.  We also suggested women could pin a dollar bill to their shirt in support.

A reason why this issue means a lot to me is I find it upsetting that as long as women earn less than men, less will go into their retirement savings and Social Security. Women are being set up to either delay retirement or enter retirement poor.

If you are in Alameda, CA on Equal Pay Day, please patronize the businesses listed below. You can also visit the Isle City/BPW site for more information.

Alameda Equal Pay Day Partnerships:

• Julie’s Coffee & Tea Garden: 23% off drinks for wearing red, plus free “red tea” tasting
• Urban Forest: 23% off storewide for women
• Forbidden Island: $1 off drinks for women
• Armstrong & Hedges LTD, Travel from a Woman’s Point of View: 77 Euro price savings on Fall Paris Tour (Oct. 27 – Nov. 3, 2009)
• Daisy’s on Park Street: 23% off all lotions and bath items
• Marti’s Place: free coffee for women all day
• Feel Good Bakery: special discount for women on select items
• Tuckers Ice Cream: free baby cone with purchase of single scoop or more
• Alameda Natural Grocery: discount for women on select items
• “A Woman’s Guide to Money Matters,” an Equal Pay Day Special Brown Bag Lunchtime Event on financial planning. Call (510) 749-0403 for more information.

photo credit: Brianna Lengel Bail