NASW promotes Equal Pay for Equal Work

April 2, 2001FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact: Lahne Mattas-CurryPublic Affairs Office(202) 336-8228 [email protected]

NASW PROMOTES EQUAL PAY FOR EQUAL WORK

April 3RD is EQUAL PAY DAY

WASHINGTON--On Tuesday, April 3rd, the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) joins the National Committee on Pay Equity (NCPE) to observe Equal Pay Day--a national day of action to promote fair pay, an issue of economic justice for women and minorities in America. Tuesday symbolizes the day when women's wages catch up to men's wages from the previous week.

"Social workers across the nation can use Equal Pay Day as an opportunity to increase awareness and redress the economic inequalities experienced by women and minorities," says Evelyn Tomaszewski, NASW staff for the Committee on Women's Issues. She adds that social workers advocate for the fairness and equality for all clients and that pay equity benefits not only women, but men and children as well by increasing family income.

In a recent poll conducted by Lifetime Television, working women ranked equal pay as a top priority for Congress in 2001. Overall 93% of African-American women, 91% of Latinas, 90% of Asian-American women, and 87% of white women said equal pay and benefits for women should be one of the top priorities in the United States.

Achieving fair pay for women and people of color continues to be a struggle. The problem is complex. While earning statistics don't tell the whole story, they are an important indicator of the progress we have made in wage parity and in economic opportunity. Overall, in 1999, the median annual earnings of women were only 72% of men's salaries. That's down from 73% in 1998. When looking exclusively at the earnings for women of color, the wage gap is even worse. African-American women make 65% of white men's earnings and Latinas only make 52%. Men of color also experience wage disparities. The ratio for African-American men is 81% while that for Hispanic men is 61%.

NASW believes that pay equity is an essential principle of fairness that different people who do the same work be compensated equally without regard to gender, race, ethnicity, age, sexual orientation, marital status, immigration status or physical ability.

For more information about NASW's Committee on Women's Issues or advocacy information regarding pay equity, please contact NASW public affairs at 202-336-8228.

For more information about Equal Pay Day, contact NCPE at [email protected] or 202-331-7343.

The National Association of Social Workers (NASW), in Washington, DC, is the largest membership organization of professional social workers with 150,000 members. It promotes, develops and protects the practice of social work and social workers. NASW also seeks to enhance the well being of individuals, families and communities through its work and through its advocacy.