Last week City Council Member Laurie Cumbo stood with colleagues and activists from across the city to rally for economic justice on Equal Pay Day. Cumbo said, “Across the country and here in New York, we recognized our long and continued fight for equal pay. Unfortunately, despite much progress, women are still shortchanged by wage inequality. New York women lose $20 billion every year due to the wage gap. Pop icon Rihanna, said it best, ‘Pay me what you owe me!’”
Cumbo added, “New York is at a game-changing moment. Following the momentum of Equal Pay Day, I introduced Intro 1536, legislation that would require gender wage data for the public sector is made available and transparent to the public. For the first time, we will have access to data that will show the discriminatory pattern of wage suppression and subjective promotions based on gender and race. Once we know where inequality exists, we can finally work to correct it. Without women in the workplace, New York City would collapse. When women are paid what they are worth, we all benefit.
Never before have we seen such strides in closing the wage and opportunity gap, but I need your help. Please join me so that we can continue this fight for gender economic justice together!”