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April 14 marks Equal Pay Day, the date that signifies how far into 2015 women have to work to earn the same level of income that men earned in 2014 -- the average woman needs to work 15 months in order to make one year of the average man’s pay. The statewide wage gap of 84 percent is less than the national average, but it costs the New York women $8,250 annually in lost income.
Advocates and leaders attending the rally include Westchester NOW, YWCA Central Westchester and White Plains, Planned Parenthood Hudson Peconic, Westchester Women’s Agenda , AAUW-Westchester, Hope’s Door, United Healthcare Workers East, Assemblywoman Amy Paulin, Assemblyman David Buchwald, Assemblywoman Sandy Galef, Assemblywoman Shelley Mayer, state Sen. Ruth Hassell-Thompson, County Legislator Catherine Borgia and County Legislator Catherine Parker.
Equal pay is an important economic security issue for women and their families for many reasons:
- Over 1 million households in New York are headed by women, and about 29 percent have incomes below the poverty level.
- More than 63 percent of working mothers are their families’ primary breadwinners or co-breadwinners.
- The statewide wage gap is 84 percent, but female workers in Western New York earn 77 percent, and African-American and Hispanic women earn 66 percent and 55 percent, respectively.
- Due to the wage gap, full-time working women in New York collectively lose more than $23 billion each year. If the wage gap is closed, working women in the state and their families would have enough money for a year’s worth of food; four months of mortgage and utility payments; eight additional months of rent; and three extra years of family health insurance premiums
White Plains City Hall is at 255 Main St.
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