Thursday, November 1^st is equal pay day for Latinas. What is equal pay day? Equal pay day is the name given to the fight to ensure that Latinas are paid the same as white, non-Hispanic males. Latinas typically earn only 53 cents for every dollar earned by White, non-Hispanic men and must work nearly 23 months to earn what white men earn in 12 months. Let that sink in-double the time spent for the same amount of money.

It is incredibly sad that we STILL need to declare that Latinas deserve equal pay for equal work. Sad that so many Latinas daily toil away at work that never quite pays enough to pay the bills and provide a good life. Shouldn’t hard work be enough to ensure you are not living in poverty? While we have our noses to the grindstone, we must also come together and lift our voices and flex our activist muscles to fight for Latinas right to equal pay.

WE CAN knows that most of you are living the daily nightmare of ‘hustling backward’ at jobs that never seem to be enough to pay your bills, never mind trying to get ahead and save. Today we draw a line and demand equal pay for equal work!

Here are a few statistics you can share to educate people who may not believe that equal pay for Latinas is that serious of an issue. We need EVERYONE in this fight for equal pay for Latinas!

From the Center for American Progress Report, Economic Security for Black and Hispanic Families

• 53 percent of Hispanic women are worried that they or someone in their household might lose their job in the next year.
• 45 percent of Latinas report difficulty at work due to lack of reliable child care.
• 61 percent cite low wages as an obstacle.
• 40 percent of Latinas say they are unable to take time off if they decide to have a child or if their children get sick.

From the National Women’s Law Center, The Wage Gap: The Who, How, Why, and What to Do

• The typical Latina a staggering $28,386 EVERY YEAR to the wage gap. This means a Latina woman would have to work until she is 83 years old to catch-up to what a white, non-Hispanic male earned from age 20 to 60.

What can YOU do?

1. On Thursday, November 1st at 2:00 – 3:00 pm ET,  use #LatinaEqualPay, #Trabajadoras and #Demandmore to show your online network that you stand with Latinas right to equal pay!

2. Tell Your Equal Pay Story! Submit your equal pay story to WE CAN to help us educate policymakers about how pay inequality is harming you, your family and your community.

3. Follow WE CAN’s Make Work Pay Campaign to learn how you can take action for equal pay all year round!

Fighting for equal pay will take all of us, working together, to win the right to a fair wage for hard work.

Yours in the Struggle,

Stephanie McGencey, Founder and President