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July 2004Union sisters make a difference!Labor women are taking an active stance and making a difference in the 2004 election. Recently, sisters from across the country gathered at the Coalition of Labor Union Women (CLUW) National Executive Board meeting in Washington, DC. During the workshop sessions, they shared ideas for reaching out to family, friends and colleagues about the importance of voting. Women, particularly unmarried women, and young people are among the groups who don't register and don't vote. A 2003 study by Women's Voices, Women Vote discovered that 22 million single women did not vote in the last presidential election. According to the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement, only 42 percent of youth aged 18 to 24 cast a ballot for president in 2000. Union sisters can help to change these sad facts! With Election Day only four months away, registering new voters is very important. Summer offers great opportunities to connect with family and friends during vacations, holiday parties, family gatherings and graduation celebrations. CLUW sisters shared these ideas for registering others to vote:
Join your sisters at the August CLUW NEB meeting in Albuquerque, New Mexico on August 26-29 and help make a difference in the 2004 election. Held in conjunction with the Labor Council for Latin American Advancement (LCLAA), the August NEB is jam packed with special events! CLUW sisters will have the chance to put their skills and experience to work during two GOTV projects on Saturday afternoon. CLUW sisters will hit the streets and college campuses in New Mexico to register voters and educate them on their rights. On Friday afternoon as part of the workshop sessions, sisters with a zeal for organizing can help the local labor council with an organizing drive for women workers. LCLAA also has invited CLUW members to join in portions of their meeting, including a GOTV training and the Labor Coalition for Community Action Town Hall Meeting on Thursday, August 26, and the Women's Leadership Luncheon (fee required) and panel discussion on "Voter Protection in the 2004 Elections: Nuestra Responsibilidad" on Friday, August 27. For more information about the CLUW NEB, visit the CLUW website. Pre-registration and hotel deadlines are July 21. The meeting will be held at the Hyatt Regency Tamaya Resort and Spa in Santa Ana Pueblo, New Mexico. Forty years of Title VIIOn the 40th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, a recent class-action lawsuit against Wal-Mart demonstrates that we still have a long way to go until women are no longer subject to discrimination in the workplace. The landmark federal legislation banned discrimination in public accommodations, federally assisted programs, and employment. Title VII of the Act barred discrimination in employment based on gender. However, discrimination and sexual harassment in the workplace, which also falls under Title VII protections, remains pervasive. One recent example is the Wal-Mart sex discrimination case, which is the largest workplace bias lawsuit in U.S. history with six women representing 1.6 million of Wal-Mart's women employees. The suit charges that women are often passed up for promotions in favor of men with less experience, on average are paid less than male counterparts and are subjected to a persistent sexist atmosphere, demeaning comments and sexist acts. One woman also reported that she quit her job as a store manager because monthly sales meetings were held at a local Hooters restaurant. Women currently comprise two-thirds of Wal-Mart's workforce and one-third of managers. When the legislation passed in 1964, it removed many barriers for women and opened new doors of opportunities. Forty years ago, women faced a very different job market and workplace. Employment ads were divided between "male" and "female" jobs. Women were subjected to restrictive laws that placed limits on the number of hours and times of day they could work as well as the amount of weight they could lift. And, pregnancy typically resulted in dismissal from a job. Today, employers are required to treat pregnant women equally. No longer is it legal to fire a woman for becoming a mother. Women can also enter the careers of their choice, and they have made great progress in some occupations. For example, half of the nation's law students and 30 percent of lawyers are women. However, despite these gains, women continue to face disparities and discrimination in the workplace. Women's experiences today In 1964, women working fulltime earned less than 61 cents for every dollar earned by men. Women today continue to suffer from a wage gap and earn about 77 cents for every dollar earned by men. Women of color face an even greater gap with African American women earning 66 cents and Hispanic women earning 54 cents to every dollar earned by white men. Union sisters fair better than most, earning on average 30 percent more than non-unionized women. Women also remain concentrated in traditionally "female occupations." Women are only 1 percent of plumbers and 2.1 percent of electricians, but are 96.3 percent of secretaries. Women also continue to confront the ever-present glass ceiling. Across the country, women are only 34 percent of officials and managers, but are 80 percent of office and clerical workers. Within the labor movement, approximately 43 percent of union members and 55 percent of newly organized workers are women. Yet, according to a 2004 report by the AFL-CIO, entitled "Overcoming Barriers to Women in Organizing and Leadership," in general union women are underrepresented in leadership positions. Unions have a great opportunity to increase union female membership by demonstrating commitment to women's leadership and ensuring that women make it to high-level positions. Reducing the civil rights of women In recent years, gender advocacy groups have been outspoken about what they see as judicial attacks on Title VII protections. According to the National Women's Law Center, a series of court decisions have restricted the rights of individuals who are discriminated against. Court decisions have restricted victims from going to court and allowed employers to insist on arbitrating claims in proceedings that are not bound by the standards of civil rights laws. Other decisions have imposed stringent requirements for demonstrating that students have been subjected to sexual harassment in school; and prohibited suits for damages for age discrimination by state employers. Victories for victims have been limited. In June 2004, the Supreme Court ruled that employees could file sexual harassment suits against their former employer after leaving their jobs due to intolerable working conditions. The ruling clarified a 1998 high court decision that established broad guidelines for employer liability when a supervisor engages in sexual harassment. In the 2004 case, a former dispatcher for the Pennsylvania State Police quit her job after her male bosses continuously subjected her to dirty jokes and obscene gestures. She claimed that her attempts to file complaints through the proper channels were rebuffed, and she could no longer tolerate the hostile work environment. The court ruling allowed the victim to continue with her lawsuit. Only one justice, Clarence Thomas, voted against the ruling. Title VII is intended to protect against discrimination, such as those experienced by Wal-Mart's women workers and others. However, gender inequities persist and much needs to be done to strengthen and enforce Title VII. CALIFORNIA MAKES THE GRADE; U.S. LAGS BEHINDOn July 1, 2004 millions of California's workers were the first to have access to the only state-mandated paid family leave program in the country. The program is expected to assist over 13 million workers. Available to all workers who pay into the State Disability Insurance system, the California's Paid Family Leave Insurance Program provides up to 6 weeks of paid leave in order to care for a sick family member or to bond with a new child, including newly adopted and foster children. Eligible workers, including all private sector and some public sector workers, are able to receive up to 55% of their weekly salary, with the maximum benefit being $728 per week for 2004. The program is funded entirely by employees who have been paying a 0.08% increase in the SDI tax since January 1, 2004. This increase allowed the program time to build adequate funding. Unfortunately, workers in other states still lack basic family leave rights. In a new report, Get Well Soon: Americans Can't Afford to be Sick, by National Partnership for Women & Families, states were graded on their family leave policies. California received a "B+", the highest grade of any state. Mississippi and Louisiana both received "F" grades and ten other states received "D-" grades. Get Well Soon also found that approximately 86 million workers do not have paid leave that can be used to care for sick children, and 59 million workers have no paid sick leave of any type. Overall, the United States lags far behind other countries worldwide in ensuring paid leave for workers. Another new study, The Work, Family, and Equity Index: Where Does the United States Stand Globally? by The Project on Global Working Families at Harvard University compared the paid leave policies of the United States to those of the rest of the world. The study found that 117 of the 139 nations that provide paid leave guarantee a week or more of paid leave per year. There is no U.S. federal law that guarantees a single day of paid leave for workers. Yet, America's workers are in dire need of paid family leave. Too often, workers are forced between choosing a paycheck or caring for their sick family member. According an Urban Institute report, 41% of working parents have no paid leave of any kind — no paid sick leave, no paid vacation, and no paid personal days off. Hopefully, other U.S. states will follow California's example and implement paid family leave programs. Get more information on California's Paid Family Leave Program. LEAVING SINGLE MOTHERS BEHINDBetween 2000 and 2002, low-income single mothers lost ground and income (data for later years is currently unavailable). According to the Economic Policy Institute (EPI), the decline of employment opportunities for low-income mothers and the failure of welfare benefits to provide enough assistance contributed to the loss of income for this group. During the 1990s, low-income mothers increased their time in the paid labor market due in part to new rules under welfare reform and a booming job market. Earnings from employment caused a reduction in welfare benefits; however many single moms managed to get ahead. Between 1994 and 2000, EPI found that the incomes of families headed by low-income single mothers rose from $14,000 to $16,300, despite sharp drops in welfare benefits, including cash transfers. (Income is in 2002 dollars and includes earnings, welfare and unemployment compensation.) Changes in the economy in 2000 reversed this trend. Job opportunities declined, and the safety net programs designed to help vulnerable families in times of need did not provide enough support. Many single mother families rely on the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) as income support. However, since these women faced fewer job opportunities and worked less during the 2000-2002 period, they earned less from the EITC. Also during this period, welfare benefits continued to fall, although less rapidly during 2000-2002. While some women were able to access unemployment compensation, safety net programs were unable to offset the loss in earnings. RESOURCE FOR WORKING WOMENWomen Working 2000 and Beyond is a valuable resource for professional women. The site offers information, including strategies for workplace success, health tips, and a network of working women. They feature stories, showcase successful women who are eager to share their personal stories, and provide readers with useful advice. Visit WomenWorking.com today. Women’s Rights Department Email List We are working to build a comprehensive contact email list and would like your help. Please forward this to other AFSCME members that might not have received it and let them know they should contact us via email so we can add them to our database. Contact us online and tell us you'd like to be added to the database. Please include your name, local/council/unit number, email address, and mailing address. WomENews is produced by the Women's Rights Department and written by Samantha Clancy and Karen Swift.
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