Today, June 10th is NOT our favorite day. Not at all.

Why? Today is Moms’ Equal Pay Day, marking the fact that moms – across race and ethnicity – must work until June 10th of 2019 to earn what dads made in 2018 alone. Of course, averages alone don’t tell the whole story because, due to structural racism, moms of color face much larger wage gaps when compared separately. June 10th is also the 56th anniversary of the Equal Pay Act becoming law, yet we STILL don’t have pay equity.

That’s the bad news about June 10th.

>>> BUT there’s good news too: We know how to close the wage gap!

*Tell your U.S. Senators: Pass the Paycheck Fairness Act and support paid sick days, paid family and medical leave, and affordable childcare!

The Paycheck Fairness Act would help close loopholes in the Equal Pay Act and it was already PASSED by the U.S. House of Representatives this year. Now it’s the U.S. Senate’s turn to act!

The U.S. Senate cannot become a graveyard where good legislation goes to die – we need action on the Paycheck Fairness Act and we need it now. The Senate also needs to advance policies that would help alleviate the motherhood penalty, like earned sick days, paid family/medical leave, and affordable childcare!

Moms' Equal Pay Day is an important reminder that over 64% of moms are breadwinners or co-breadwinners; and that equal pay for moms is pivotal for lifting families out of poverty and boosting our national economy.

This is a big deal. Overall, moms are currently paid just 69 cents for every dollar paid to dads. But that doesn’t tell the full story, because for many moms that wage gap is way worse than 69 cents to the dollar. Latina moms make just 46 cents, Native moms make just 48 cents, Black moms make just 54 cents, White moms make just 72 cents, and AAPI moms make just 92 cents compared to white, non-Hispanic dads. (Although if you further disaggregate the data for AAPI moms, many AAPI communities make far less).

Equal pay is an LGBTQ issue too. Black and Latina LGBTQ women are more likely than their white counterparts to be raising children, but also more likely to be living in poverty. To lift all families, we need fair pay and we need it now.

Breadwinners shouldn’t be left with just crumbs! Urge your U.S. Senators to PASS the Paycheck Fairness Act and advance earned sick days, paid family and medical leave, and affordable childcare!

The fact is that motherhood is a greater predictor of wage inequality than gender. In other words, the gender pay gap is largely due to motherhood – even if a woman ISN’T a mom, studies show the fact that she could potentially become a mom contributes to unequal pay. 

There is direct discrimination going on here. In a study of EQUAL resumes and job experiences, moms were offered jobs 80% less of the time than non-moms; and were offered $11,000 less than non-moms for highly paid positions. Dads, on the other hand, were offered $6,000 more. 

This is unjust!

TAKE ACTION: On this Moms’ Equal Pay Day, ask your U.S. Senators to help close the moms’ wage gap by passing the Paycheck Fairness Act and supporting earned sick days, paid family/medical leave, and affordable childcare.

***Please also take a moment to share this blog post with friends and family! Post the action link on Facebook and Twitter to spread the word. The more of us who take action, the better chance we have of making this the last #MomsEqualPay Day!