City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito (speaking below), who represents the South Bronx and East Harlem, joined West Bronx Councilwoman Vanessa Gibson (far l.) and other elected officials joined together yesterday on the City Hall steps, calling for enforcement of the Equal Pay Act after nearly a century of a dream deferred.
“Equal Pay Day is a stark reminder of the work that still needs to be done before we can put an end to the pervasive pay gap between men and women in our country,” said the Speaker. “Fifty years after the Equal Pay Act was signed by President Kennedy, women in New York still make just 84 percent of the wages that men do. Unequal pay doesn’t just hurt women, it hurts families, children and all those who depend on women as household earners. For too long, wage inequality has kept women, particularly those of color, in poverty.”
She continued: “Today, on Equal Pay Day, we must take a strong stand and commit to closing the wage gap in our nation once and for all. I thank Senator Schumer, Senator Gillibrand and the New York Congressional delegation for their leadership and call on my colleagues in municipalities across the country to send a clear and unified message to Congress: The time to pass the Paycheck Fairness Act and end income inequality is now. We must strengthen our equal pay laws, raise our country’s minimum wage, and help Americans enter the middle class. It’s not just the right thing to do, it’s the right thing for our country.”
Follow Us