💸💪🏾Moneda Moves (14): Level the field for the Latinas earning the least
📅Bienvenidos...to Latina Equal Pay Day 2018 -- a world where Latinas are increasingly fueling the engine that is the American economy and tend to be the breadwinners in their family, but are still underpaid at 5️⃣3️⃣cents to the white non-Hispanic man’s dollar, according to the Institute for Women’s Policy Research. The upside? There’s people putting in serious work at the grassroots level to close that gap.
Take union organizers or example, who work to raise the standard for all workers, no exceptions. 🔊Latina Equal Pay Day is not only a day to draw attention to wage disparity between Latinas and their non-Hispanic white male counterparts at large but also to think about how to level the playing field for the Latinas earning the least: Those who are working in the hospitality, housekeeping, health aids, agriculture industry and beyond.
I spoke a union organizer based in Chicago, Maria Del Rosario Martinez, who helps workers in these industry, women included, get wage increases and secured benefits like healthcare to paid maternity leave. Most recently, the union she works with led a strike across 26 Chicago hotels -- an action that generated regional media attention. The hotels went without housekeepers, doormen, cooks and attendants. This strike demanded year-round health insurance until workers ratified contracts with hotels. Check out the full piece later today on The Mujerista.
Onto this week's notita. Like what you read? Pay it forward and share with your partner or socio:
tinyletter.com/MonedaMoves.
Con poder✊🏽,
Lyanne
Keeping tabs/cuentas on what happened last week in the world of Latinx in business. We review studies, features and news updates as they relate to our community and underrepresented communities at large.
Three in 10 Latinas in New York City live in poverty🗽: That's a striking stat reported by Latino USA earlier this week. In fact, Latinas are impacted so much by the wage gap in NYC that on average, they have to "work more than two years to make what an average white man makes in a single year," according to a New York City Comptroller report. Journalist Maggie Freleng met with a woman living in the city on a nanny salary to help better illustrate what this kind of reality looks like. The median salary for domestic workers nationally is $12,000 a year and can go as low as $9,000. In this profession, workers have also historically been excluded from labor protections such as overtime, wage theft and harassment.
Latino VC on why female investors are the ultimate business advantage 💸: Today, Chacho Valadez is full-time investment apprentice and associate at Backstage Capital, the fund that has invested more than $4 million in 100 companies founded by underestimated entrepreneurs. But it wasn't always this way. Last year, he was working at a Sprint store with hopes to start a venture fund to invest in Latinx founders. After messaging Backstage founder Arlan Hamilton, he was brought onto the team.
"As part of a team where as a male I’m outnumbered by some of the smartest women in Silicon Valley, I have ample opportunity to learn from and support my coworkers, who kick ass on a daily basis," he told Quartz reporter Leah Fessler.
Get to know the powerful/potentes Latinx and up-and-comers in business.
Writer and actress Jacqueline Priego continues to tackle Latina wage gap and workplace discrimination 📝: Creator of "Pinkslipped," the show addressing tokenism, wage gap and immigration, Priego spoke with the Chicago Tribune columnist Heidi Stevens about Latina Equal Pay Day and changes she would like to see. Among these changes? College courses in negotiation, mentorship programs (especially for women of color) and raised awareness around the issue.
Put your money/monedita where your mouth is! These are Latinx entrepreneurs, business owners and thought leaders to consider backing.
To build a Latina dream network⚡: If you could seek advice or mentorship from any Latina, who would that person be? Pamela Barba, founder of Vamos Ladies is working on building an exchange of mentors (or madrinas) and mentees and she's currently taking applications! Sign up here.
P.S.: Shout-out to Barba for making these solid graphics to share on Latina Equal Pay Day.
That's all for this notita! Follow us throughout Latina Equal Pay Day for more from our Twitter and Instagram accounts. Here's to a future where women get equal pay for equal work.