4/13 to 4/17: Equal Pay Week of Action

It’s Time to Act – We’re so Close!

April 14, 2015, is recognized nationally as Equal Pay Day – the symbolic day in 2015 when women’s salaries catch up to men’s earnings from 2014. That’s right – it takes women an extra three months to earn what men earned in all of 2014! The wage gap remains largely stagnant and discrimination in the workplace remains.

But there is something we can do about it. We must educate the public – and more importantly, let our legislators know that we are demanding action! This year, we have been working closely with our city and county governments to raise awareness about unequal pay.

That’s why we have designated the week of April 13 as the Equal Pay Week of Action . Click on the links below to go straight to the action.

Wednesday, April 8: Submit your Letter to the Editor (LTE)

  • If you have not submitted an LTE already, use this link to customize an LTE for your local newspaper.
  • Don’t forget to mention your Equal Pay Day proclamation if your local official has signed one.

Monday, April 13: Start Tweeting about Equal Pay Day

  • Follow these hashtags: #EqualPayNow, #EqualPayDay, #NYEqualPayBill
  • And follow these handles: @AAUWNY, @AAUW, @PowHerNY
  • Use these sample tweets:

Un-equal pay is not okay. Pass the #NYEqualPayBill. #EqualPayNow http://bit.ly/1N41AMj @AAUWNY @PowHerNY

Women have been looking 4 pay equity since 1950s. NY women could buy 1.2 years of groceries if wage gap was closed #NYEqualPayBill @AAUWNY

We’ve been waiting 4 equal pay for a long time. NY women could afford 8 more months rent if #NYEqualPayBill was passed. #EqualPayDay @AAUWNY

It’s #EqualPayDay- wage gap 4 Latinas is 54% & 64% for African-Am women. Tell Congress we need #EqualPayNow. http://bit.ly/1CaMOsP @AAUWNY

If NY women had #EqualPayNow, we could buy 2,201 gallons of gasoline. Pass the #NYEqualPayBill and #PFA. @AAUW @AAUWNY @PowHerNY

It’s #EqualPayDay! Remind Congress that #PFA would mean $800K more in retirement savings for NY women. #EqualPayNow @AAUW @AAUWNY

Tuesday, April 14: Equal Pay Day

Participate in a local Equal Pay Day Event in your area, and don’t forget to wear RED because thanks to the wage gap, women are still in the RED financially!

  • Ask people to sign your federal and state Equal Pay Day postcards – urging members of Congress to support the federal Paycheck Fairness Act and state legislators to pass the NY Equal Pay Bill.
  • Mail or hand deliver the state Equal Pay Day postcards to your legislator before April 20 (the Assembly may be voting on the Equal Pay Bill that week).
  • Plan a special delivery to the office of your Congressional delegation to share the federal Equal Pay Day postcards. Urge them to co-sponsor the federal Paycheck Fairness Act.
  • Tweet and post your Equal Pay Day photos, proclamations, and stories in real-time! Tweet to @AAUWNY and post on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/AAUW.NYS. Let’s share our successes as broadly as possible!

Wednesday, April 15: Keep Sharing!

  • Keep tweeting about the need for equal pay legislation at the state and federal level (use the sample Tweets above)
  • Post your Equal Pay Day event photos on Facebook and Twitter
  • Share your published LTEs on social media, with your branch and state, friends and family, and with AAUW national staff via the report-back form.
  • Did you call or visit your elected officials to discuss the need for equal pay? What did they say? Share the details with Donna Seymour, AAUW of NYS Public Policy VP, seymour6985@verizon.net.

Thursday, April 16, and Friday, April 17: Say Thank You!

  • If your local lawmaker signed an Equal Pay Day proclamation or participated in an event, write her/him a letter of thanks, and consider submitting your thanks as an LTE.
  • Thank your Twitter and Facebook followers for helping to spread your message.
  • Plan to share your Equal Pay Day stories at the AAUW-NYS Convention in Grand Island, NY April 17-19. We’ll see you there!

Thank you for your support! Sincerely, AAUW-NYS