Michigan Women's Forum Plans Coverage of April 9 Equal Pay Day Rally

Cookies at Tuesday's Equal Pay Day rally will provide a
visual image of Michigan's pay gap.

On Tuesday, April 9, Equal Pay Day, Michigan Women's Forum will provide coverage of a Lansing rally that calls on Michigan legislators to support equal pay for equal work. Equal Pay Day marks how far into the year a woman must work, on average, to earn as much as a man earned the previous year.

The event starts at noon in the State Capitol Rotunda. The live blog and open conversation launches at 11:30 a.m. at MichiganWomensForum.com.

Michigan's pay gap ranks among the worst in the country, with women earning an average 74 cents for each dollar men earn. In addition to the rally, advocates will also lobby state lawmakers to pass House and Senate bills that would:

• Strengthen the Elliott-Larsen Act to make it clear that sex-based wage discrimination is illegal under Michigan law; 
• Increase penalties for wage discrimination based on gender; 
• Establish a pay equity study commission; 
• Allow employees to learn what their co-workers earn, so they can know whether they are receiving equal pay

According to an event press release, in the 50th year after passage of the federal equal pay legislation, the National Committee on Pay Equity reports the wage gap remained statistically unchanged. Nationally, women's earnings were 77 percent of men's in 2011, compared to 77.4 percent in 2010, based on median earnings of all full-time, year-round workers. Men's earnings in 2011 were $48,202 and women's were $37,118, a difference of $11,084.

Representatives of 21 Michigan organizations will attend the rally. Advocates will hand out chocolate chip cookies with a “bite” taken out to symbolize the pay disparity. Learn more and take part in a virtual lobbying effort at http://progressmichigan.org/equalpayday.