On September 7-10, the Coalition of Labor Union Women (CLUW) completed our 16th Biennial Convention, where we recommitted ourselves to those priorities that are so critical to working women and their families. The highest priority at our founding convention 37 years ago and now is JOBS! But when we talk about jobs we mean decent […]
Money & Jobs
The Women in Poverty Epidemic, Visualized
Released last week, the United States Census Bureau’s latest data on household income left no doubt that more and more American women are sinking into poverty. According to a National Women’s Law Center analysis of the census data, the poverty rate for women grew from 13.9 percent in 2009 to 14.5 percent in 2010. It’s […]
Wal-Mart’s Gender Washing
“Wal-Mart Launches Global Women’s Economic Empowerment Initiative; Effort Includes Goal to Source $20 Billion from Women‑Owned Businesses in the U.S.” read the headline on Wal-Mart’s press release announcing a new “gender washing” initiative. Well, ok, it didn’t say “gender washing.” I made up the term to convey the same meaning as “green washing” when it’s […]
We Need Jobs and a Voice on the Job
When I was in high school and college, I worked in restaurants. I worked for minimum wage and I worked hard—cleaning, cooking, even counting money and making bank deposits. I remember my pay going from $3.35 an hour to $3.45 an hour when I made ‘head cashier’—a job that carried a lot more responsibility than […]
Living on a Prayer? Latinas Need Jobs and the Ability to Live With Dignity
Economic security has been a major concern for everyone, but perhaps especially so for Latinas. Studies indicate that Latinas had an 11.4 percent unemployment rate in August 2011, compared to about 9 percent overall. And when they work, Latinas earn, on average, less than sixty cents for every dollar earned by a white male. That’s […]
Rebounding From a “Mancession,” Remembering the Ladies
President Obama recently laid out his new “American Jobs Act” before Congress in the hope of revitalizing our economy, putting the willing to work and finally ending one of the nation’s longest and worst recessions. With unemployment at a startling high–and making only marginal, if any, improvements monthly–the country has one thing on its mind. […]
HERvotes Takes On the Jobs Crisis
Our first #HERvotes blog carnival was so successful, we’re doing it again! On August 25-26, to mark the anniversaries of the passage of the 19th amendment and the March on Washington, Ms. joined with 21 women’s organizations to collectively publish 77 blog posts with a single harmonious message: We must mobilize women voters in 2012 […]
President’s Job Plan Benefits Women
The president’s job plan would have a positive impact on women’s jobs, woman-owned small businesses and small- to medium-sized non-profits. It also includes payroll tax savings for some 78 million employed women and an extension of unemployment insurance for those out of work, who include some 2.6 million unemployed women. Many of the proposals for […]
The Care Crisis
Job creation is the word of the day. In his speech on Thursday night, President Obama outlined his proposal to reinvigorate a stagnating economy. It included a mix of tax cuts, aid to small businesses, federal money for infrastructure projects and a commitment to the public sector. The goal, quite simply, is to put Americans […]
The Old Boys’ Club Still Meets on the Golf Course
Dr. Margo Fitzpatrick’s career at consulting firm Booz Allen Hamilton began well: after joining the firm in 1999, she quickly earned a Performance Excellence Award, the firm’s highest honor, and was promoted to partner in 2005. Between 2008 and 2010, she won the firm more than $588 million in new business. Her evaluations reflected her […]