LANSING — In recognition of Equal Pay Day, the date each year that indicates the number of additional days a woman must work to make up for what her male counterpart made last year, the Progressive Women’s Caucus Chair, Representative Kristy Pagan, offered a resolution declaring April 2, 2019 as Pay Equity Day in Michigan. For African American, indigenous and Latina women, Equal Pay Day occurs even later in the year, on August 22, September 23 and November 20, respectively. In response, the Progressive Women’s Caucus Executive Committee released the following statement:
“Everyone, regardless of gender, deserves the freedom to provide economic security for themselves and their families. Unfortunately, Equal Pay Day serves as a stark reminder that we are far from reaching pay equality. Women are increasingly the sole or primary earners in their homes, and denying us equal pay hurts not only our own household, but Michigan as a whole. Passing policies that close the wage gap and ensure equal pay helps women, working families and our state’s economy thrive. Pay equity can drive Michigan's prosperity and it is beyond time we make more significant strides to address this issue and recognize the full value of women in the workforce.”
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