Chicago Sun Times: Erosion of unions hurts women, particularly Latinas

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.suntimes.com/news/otherviews/355043,CST-EDT-REF24.article

Erosion of unions hurts women, particularly Latinas

April 24, 2007
BY LINDA CHAVEZ-THOMPSON AND GABRIELA LEMUS
Although women have made many gains since the 1960s, they must still catch up with men when it comes to equal pay and the benefits that generally accompany it, like educational attainment and access to health insurance, paid leave and other benefits. This is particularly true for women of color who have the highest levels of disparities in income in comparison to men. In 2006, women overall made 77 percent of men's annual earnings.

The wage gap is stark irrespective of one's ethnic group, but for Latinas it is singularly startling. Latinas earn only 52.4 percent when compared with men. In industries that are job-typed, such as teaching and nursing where many Latina workers are concentrated, unions have fostered change in closing the pay gap and given Latinas access to health insurance and other benefits. We must assess the remaining barriers to economic equality and push hard for policies that are even-handed and diminish gender- and racial-inequities. If ever there was an argument for joining a union, then this would be it. And if ever there was an argument for having the capacity to bargain collectively without retribution, this would definitely be it.

Women are struggling. As a result, their families are also facing challenges. Women are the foundation for family decisions and unfortunately, more and more, they carry the primary responsibility and are the sole decision-makers in their children's welfare. Latinas also often uphold their family and cultural traditions to take care of their elders. Women's role as caretakers in our society is one factor in pay inequity. Absent strong government-provided safety nets, like quality affordable day care, women will continue to be forced to choose between their families and their jobs.

Not everything is at the federal level. States have an important role to play in the shifts of women from poverty to economic prosperity. States can implement innovative programs that assist women by providing educational and training programs to maximize women's earning potential or alternatively, they could set their own minimum wage laws and strengthen pay equity at the state level. Yet, local, state and national policies continue to lag behind the changing realities of women's lives as they struggle to balance the need to work with their obligations to care for their families.

FULL story at link.