skip to main content

Friday, June 9, 2023

play newscast audioPlay

Former President Donald J. Trump first ever to face federal charges in 7 count indictment; the Supreme Court strikes down Alabama's Congressional Maps; Canadian wildfires affect the health of humans and wildlife.

play newscast audioPlay

The Supreme Court upholds a key provision of the Voting Rights Act over Alabama redistricting, smoky skies could spell EPA trouble for some states, and President Biden calls on Congress to pass LGBTQ+ protections.

play newscast audioPlay

Rural communities launch projects with funds from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, a study says rural transgender adults feel less supported than those in urban areas, and a summer road trip could mean majestic scenic byways or a sprinkling of donut shops.

Equal Pay Day: Getting Michigan Women's Wages "Out of the Red"

play audio
Play

Tuesday, April 14, 2015   

LANSING, Mich. - It will be a sea of red Tuesday at the Michigan Capitol, as organizations from across the state rally together and wear scarlet to denote the fight to get women's wages "out of the red."

Tuesday is Equal Pay Day, which symbolizes how far into 2015 women must work to earn what men earned in 2014.

Mary Pollock, on the board of the National Organization for Women, says equal pay is not just an issue for Michigan women - it's about ensuring the state's economy works for everyone, particularly since women now account for nearly half the workforce.

"Many of those women are supporting themselves and their children, and they need equal pay and need it now," she says. "It is worth hundreds of thousands of dollars in their total lifetime income not to be given equal compensation."

Legislation has been introduced in Lansing that would strengthen the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act to make it clear that gender-based wage discrimination is illegal under Michigan law, and to foster greater accountability and enforcement of the issue.

Supporters will take part in a briefing on pay equity legislation at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, followed by a 1 p.m. rally in the Capitol Rotunda.

On average, Michigan women earn 77 cents for every $1.00 that men earn, according to a new report from the Institute for Women's Policy Research. Some believe the comparison is flawed, since women often take time off to raise children. But Pollock says there's too much secrecy surrounding wages, and adds that women aren't asking for any kind of special treatment.

"The jobs that women hold need to be paid commensurate with the skill, effort, responsibility, working conditions, and training required in those jobs," she says.

Pollock says some ground can be gained by steering girls and young women toward higher-paying careers, particularly those in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or so-called STEM fields.

"Even in those jobs and even right out of college, the wage discrimination starts right there," she says. "Just getting women into those non-traditional jobs will help improve their particular situation somewhat, but it will not close the entire gap."

According to the study, Michigan currently ranks 36th in the nation for pay equity. At the current rate, it is forecast Michigan women will not achieve pay equity until the year 2086.


get more stories like this via email

Guns to Gardens volunteers in New Hampshire are working against what are considered among the weakest gun laws in the country. State law does not require background checks on all gun sales, or limit access to firearms by people in crisis. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

Community volunteers in New Hampshire are turning unwanted firearms into garden tools as part of a nationwide effort to reduce gun violence. Under …


Social Issues

play sound

Parents and educators in the Houston Independent School District said they are all for improving schools but do not believe a state takeover by an une…

Social Issues

play sound

The U.S. Supreme Court upheld a lower-court ruling on a 5-to-4 vote Thursday, deciding Alabama's 2022 congressional maps violated the Voting Rights …


Alaska has more than 322 million acres of public lands, more than three times the acreage of the entire state of California. (Adobe Stock)

Environment

play sound

The Bureau of Land Management has announced a $161 million investment in habitat and wildland restoration projects in 11 western states. Alaska is …

Environment

play sound

As smoke from Canadian wildfires blankets New York and much of the East Coast, it's causing a wide range of health effects - and not just for people…

Connexus Energy operates a 'solar meadow' at its headquarters in Ramsey, Minn. (Photo courtesy of Fresh Energy)

Environment

play sound

By Elizabeth Hewitt for Reasons to be Cheerful.Broadcast version by Mike Moen for Minnesota News Connection reporting for the Solutions Journalism Net…

Social Issues

play sound

To fight such pressing issues as housing shortages and increasing crime rates in cities across the country, many of the nation's mayors are taking …

Health and Wellness

play sound

As part of Alzheimer's and Brain Awareness Month, mental-health advocates in Iowa are sharing information about Alzheimer's and say two new drugs …

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021