Thursday, April 24, 2008
LX & Lilly vs The Senate republicans
Lilly Ledbetter brought a case of gendered pay discrimination to the Supreme Court [Ledbetter v Good Year 550 US XXXX (2007)http://www.supremecourtus.gov/opinions/06pdf/05-1074.pdf ]. She claimed that she had been systematically discriminate against by being paid less than her male colleagues--they had been forbidden to talk about salaries among employees. She won in lower courts, it was appealed to the Supreme Court, where the men (5-4 decision)on the bench found that she did not act within 180 days of when she was 1st discriminated against--even though she did not know about it, because of the secrecy surrounding pay. (see http://www.acsblog.org/economic-regulation-employment-supreme-court-preview-employment-discrimination-and-timeliness-of-lawsuits.html )
This year, Congress tried to correct this bias for corporations. The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act passed the House, and yesterday got stuck in the Senate. (see http://www.aclu.org/womensrights/35006prs20080423.html ) . (Not to mention that Bush has thrreatened to veto this act.)
As Justice Ginsburg said from the bench last year: This sets back women & civil rights!!!!
Yesterday was Fair Pay Day, and talking about this with LX, she reported:
The Facts: LX has been working at the mall store since November 2006. She has been named "Employee of the Month." She works 4 days a week (Friday- Monday). She is juggling school --honor roll--and a 10 month old baby boy--happy and smart (but then I am his GramJAM :)).
She makes $7.33/hour and was told she can get a raise when she turns 18 (in 3 months).
Meanwhile, a 16 y.o. young man was hired 2 months ago, he works 2 days a week and makes $7.50 an hour.
Both of them think this is unfair, and talked to an ass't manager--who said "you are not supposed to know each other's salaries..."
Discrimination is discrimination.
This year, Congress tried to correct this bias for corporations. The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act passed the House, and yesterday got stuck in the Senate. (see http://www.aclu.org/womensrights/35006prs20080423.html ) . (Not to mention that Bush has thrreatened to veto this act.)
As Justice Ginsburg said from the bench last year: This sets back women & civil rights!!!!
Yesterday was Fair Pay Day, and talking about this with LX, she reported:
The Facts: LX has been working at the mall store since November 2006. She has been named "Employee of the Month." She works 4 days a week (Friday- Monday). She is juggling school --honor roll--and a 10 month old baby boy--happy and smart (but then I am his GramJAM :)).
She makes $7.33/hour and was told she can get a raise when she turns 18 (in 3 months).
Meanwhile, a 16 y.o. young man was hired 2 months ago, he works 2 days a week and makes $7.50 an hour.
Both of them think this is unfair, and talked to an ass't manager--who said "you are not supposed to know each other's salaries..."
Discrimination is discrimination.
Monday, April 21, 2008
April 22
Happy Earth day!
Happy Equal Pay Day!
Happy Equal Pay Day!
Friday, April 18, 2008
Equal Pay Day
Equal Pay Day is next Tuesday April 22--the point in 2008 when the average woman's wages finally catches up with what the average man earned in 2007 !!! And, this is 45 years AFTER the Equal Pay Act of 1963 became law.
The Senate is expected to vote on the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, which already passed the House next week. The bill will ensure justice for employees who have been subject to pay discrimination giving all employees a better shot at a fair workplace, making it easier to ensure justice for those who have been discriminated against based on sex, race, ethnicity, religion, disability, and age. Urge your Sebators to pass this Act.
Seehttp://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d110:h.r.02831 for the House bill and http://www.supremecourtus.gov/opinions/06pdf/05-1074.pdf for the Ledbetter v Goodyear decision.
Women in the United States are still paid only 77 cents for every dollar earned by men;
African-American women earn only 63 cents; and
Latinas earn only 52 cents for every dollar paid to white men.
It is high time that there was equal earning power for all.
The Senate is expected to vote on the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, which already passed the House next week. The bill will ensure justice for employees who have been subject to pay discrimination giving all employees a better shot at a fair workplace, making it easier to ensure justice for those who have been discriminated against based on sex, race, ethnicity, religion, disability, and age. Urge your Sebators to pass this Act.
Seehttp://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d110:h.r.02831 for the House bill and http://www.supremecourtus.gov/opinions/06pdf/05-1074.pdf for the Ledbetter v Goodyear decision.
Women in the United States are still paid only 77 cents for every dollar earned by men;
African-American women earn only 63 cents; and
Latinas earn only 52 cents for every dollar paid to white men.
It is high time that there was equal earning power for all.
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Media sets the bar--LOW
Last night's televised (ABC) debate between Clinton & Obama featured questions from Charlie Gibson and George Steppanoupoulous which seemed to be tailor made to trip up whomever becomes the democrat candidate.
Questions focused on minutaie rather than policy. To say that the media is not stepping up to the plate and setting the appropriate tone for our political discourse would be an understatement. The tone of their questions was set very very low.
The transcript for the debate follows as does some other commentary:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/16/us/politics/16text-debate.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
http://www.alternet.org/blogs/peek/82649/
Questions focused on minutaie rather than policy. To say that the media is not stepping up to the plate and setting the appropriate tone for our political discourse would be an understatement. The tone of their questions was set very very low.
The transcript for the debate follows as does some other commentary:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/16/us/politics/16text-debate.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
http://www.alternet.org/blogs/peek/82649/
Labels: debate, Hillary Clinton, media, Obama
Media
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Even Smart Women are Silenced
Rebecca Solnit wrote "Men Explain Things to Me: Facts Didn't Get in Their Way"
" . . .Every woman knows what I'm talking about. It's the presumption that makes it hard, at times, for any woman in any field; that keeps women from speaking up and from being heard when they dare; that crushes young women into silence by indicating, the way harassment on the street does, that this is not their world. It trains us in self-doubt and self-limitation just as it exercises men's unsupported overconfidence. . . "
Excerpted from:
http://tomdispatch.com/post/174918/rebecca_solnit_the_archipelago_of
" . . .Every woman knows what I'm talking about. It's the presumption that makes it hard, at times, for any woman in any field; that keeps women from speaking up and from being heard when they dare; that crushes young women into silence by indicating, the way harassment on the street does, that this is not their world. It trains us in self-doubt and self-limitation just as it exercises men's unsupported overconfidence. . . "
Excerpted from:
http://tomdispatch.com/post/174918/rebecca_solnit_the_archipelago_of
Friday, April 04, 2008
Forty Years and Still Counting
Forty years ago today, Martin Luther king Jr. was killed in Memphis. His speech the night before almost foretold his death. It is a moving speech, not only for that reason.
Forty years ago I remember sitting at the dinner table at friends of the family (my parents were out of town) and having heard about his death, and hearing clips from this speech on the news, I wanted to discuss: should we boycott Sealtest Milk and Wonder Bread. I was told the speech was not for me, and of course, we would not boycott these companies. But I realized that the speech was as much for me as for the black citizens. The speech still moves me.
Forty years and still counting. Equality is still elusive.
Here is Martin Luther King Jr.'s "Mountain Top" speech. His last speech. He was in Memphis to support the sanitation workers' strike. This speech is a stroll through history, a look at a different nonviolent use of political power--economic clout. We can all learn.
http://americanradioworks.publicradio.org/features/sayitplain/mlking.html
On this site you can read his speech an see a clip of MLK jr delivering the conclusion
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=f0a_1179859741
Forty years ago I remember sitting at the dinner table at friends of the family (my parents were out of town) and having heard about his death, and hearing clips from this speech on the news, I wanted to discuss: should we boycott Sealtest Milk and Wonder Bread. I was told the speech was not for me, and of course, we would not boycott these companies. But I realized that the speech was as much for me as for the black citizens. The speech still moves me.
Forty years and still counting. Equality is still elusive.
Here is Martin Luther King Jr.'s "Mountain Top" speech. His last speech. He was in Memphis to support the sanitation workers' strike. This speech is a stroll through history, a look at a different nonviolent use of political power--economic clout. We can all learn.
http://americanradioworks.publicradio.org/features/sayitplain/mlking.html
On this site you can read his speech an see a clip of MLK jr delivering the conclusion
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=f0a_1179859741
