To: Rep. Maxine Waters (CA-43)
Equality for Minority Women in the Workplace
November 23, 2015
Maxine Waters
United States Congresswoman of the 43rd District
2221 Rayburn House
Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Dear Congresswoman Waters,
Our purpose is simple: We fight for better treatment of minority women in the workforce. Women in the workplace often make less money than their male counterparts. On average, women in the same occupation make only 77% of what men make. [1] This gap is even bigger for minority women. Latino and African American Women make even less than white women do working in the same occupation, which puts them significantly behind what white men make. [2]
Minority women typically work part-time jobs with extremely low pay. They receive little-to-no paid time off for personal or family affairs. According to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, women affected by pregnancy or related conditions must be treated in the same manner as all other employees, but that is not the case for every pregnant woman in the workplace. Less than half of workers can take paid time off after the arrival of a new child (45.5 percent), and only slightly more (46.9 percent) are guaranteed unpaid leave due to the eligibility requirements of the Family and Medical Leave Act. [3] Latinos are the least likely to have access to paid sick days (only 38.4 percent) or paid parental leave (only 25.1 percent) of any racial or ethnic group. [3] In many cases they face the possibility of being demoted once they return to work.
If minority women can keep a job, it typically doesn’t provide retirement benefits and they cannot easily afford to put money towards personal retirement accounts. This often leaves minority women relying solely on Social Security Income, which is determined by the individual’s income and how long the individual has worked. This amount is usually very low. The Women’s Institute for a Secured Retirement (WISER) stated, “The retirement income for women was about 57 percent of that for men, with greater disparity for African-American and Hispanic women who generally have income that is less than 35-50 percent, respectively.” [4]
Studies show that good jobs which offer paid leave and flexibility with a variety of health and economic benefits are less accessible for people of color. Minority women are at a disadvantage compared to men and white women, as they are forced to endure disparities in the workplace. We need to create a solution to this problem. The signatures attached to this letter express the support for our issue. We organized this letter petition through the course we are currently attending. The course is Race and Ethnic Relations and is being taught by Professor Paul Lopez. We are urging you to hear our concerns. Thank you for your time and patience.
Sincerely,
Jeff Puckett, Alicia Prescott, Charlie Scharfenberger, Alyssa Steele, and Michelle Erwin-Pohl
Resources
1. Women’s earnings as a percentage of men’s, 1979-2007: The Economics Daily: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2008, October 29). Retrieved November 23, 2015, from http://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2008/oct/wk4/art03.htm
2. Earnings of women and men by race and ethnicity, 2007: The Economics Daily: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2008, October 30). Retrieved November 23, 2015, from http://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2008/oct/wk4/art04.htm
3. Glynn, S., & Farrell, J. (2012, November 20). Latinos Least Likely to Have Paid Leave or Workplace Flexibility. Retrieved November 23, 2015, from https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/labor/report/2012/11/20/45394/latinos-least-likely-to-have-paid-leave-or-workplace-flexibility/
4. Disparities for Women and Minorities in Retirement Savings. (2010). Retrieved November 23, 2015, from http://www.dol.gov/ebsa/publications/2010ACreport3.html
Additional Sources (not cited)
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. (n.d.). Retrieved November 23, 2015, from https://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/civil-rights-act/
Hicken, M. (2014, May 14). Retirement's gender gap leaves many women in poverty. Retrieved November 23, 2015, from http://money.cnn.com/2014/05/13/retirement/retirement-women/
Maxine Waters
United States Congresswoman of the 43rd District
2221 Rayburn House
Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Dear Congresswoman Waters,
Our purpose is simple: We fight for better treatment of minority women in the workforce. Women in the workplace often make less money than their male counterparts. On average, women in the same occupation make only 77% of what men make. [1] This gap is even bigger for minority women. Latino and African American Women make even less than white women do working in the same occupation, which puts them significantly behind what white men make. [2]
Minority women typically work part-time jobs with extremely low pay. They receive little-to-no paid time off for personal or family affairs. According to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, women affected by pregnancy or related conditions must be treated in the same manner as all other employees, but that is not the case for every pregnant woman in the workplace. Less than half of workers can take paid time off after the arrival of a new child (45.5 percent), and only slightly more (46.9 percent) are guaranteed unpaid leave due to the eligibility requirements of the Family and Medical Leave Act. [3] Latinos are the least likely to have access to paid sick days (only 38.4 percent) or paid parental leave (only 25.1 percent) of any racial or ethnic group. [3] In many cases they face the possibility of being demoted once they return to work.
If minority women can keep a job, it typically doesn’t provide retirement benefits and they cannot easily afford to put money towards personal retirement accounts. This often leaves minority women relying solely on Social Security Income, which is determined by the individual’s income and how long the individual has worked. This amount is usually very low. The Women’s Institute for a Secured Retirement (WISER) stated, “The retirement income for women was about 57 percent of that for men, with greater disparity for African-American and Hispanic women who generally have income that is less than 35-50 percent, respectively.” [4]
Studies show that good jobs which offer paid leave and flexibility with a variety of health and economic benefits are less accessible for people of color. Minority women are at a disadvantage compared to men and white women, as they are forced to endure disparities in the workplace. We need to create a solution to this problem. The signatures attached to this letter express the support for our issue. We organized this letter petition through the course we are currently attending. The course is Race and Ethnic Relations and is being taught by Professor Paul Lopez. We are urging you to hear our concerns. Thank you for your time and patience.
Sincerely,
Jeff Puckett, Alicia Prescott, Charlie Scharfenberger, Alyssa Steele, and Michelle Erwin-Pohl
Resources
1. Women’s earnings as a percentage of men’s, 1979-2007: The Economics Daily: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2008, October 29). Retrieved November 23, 2015, from http://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2008/oct/wk4/art03.htm
2. Earnings of women and men by race and ethnicity, 2007: The Economics Daily: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2008, October 30). Retrieved November 23, 2015, from http://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2008/oct/wk4/art04.htm
3. Glynn, S., & Farrell, J. (2012, November 20). Latinos Least Likely to Have Paid Leave or Workplace Flexibility. Retrieved November 23, 2015, from https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/labor/report/2012/11/20/45394/latinos-least-likely-to-have-paid-leave-or-workplace-flexibility/
4. Disparities for Women and Minorities in Retirement Savings. (2010). Retrieved November 23, 2015, from http://www.dol.gov/ebsa/publications/2010ACreport3.html
Additional Sources (not cited)
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. (n.d.). Retrieved November 23, 2015, from https://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/civil-rights-act/
Hicken, M. (2014, May 14). Retirement's gender gap leaves many women in poverty. Retrieved November 23, 2015, from http://money.cnn.com/2014/05/13/retirement/retirement-women/
Why is this important?
We are currently enrolled in a Race and Ethnic Relations course, taught by Professor Paul Lopez, at California State University, Chico.