SunTalker

Equal Pay Day - Your Chance to Act!

2009-04-27T16:10:00.002-08:00

April 28, 2009, is Equal Pay Day — the date to which the average woman must work (from January 1, 2008 through to April 28th, 2009) in order to match the average man’s earnings for last year (from Jananuary 1st to December 31st of 2008). Today, in 2009, women STILL make only 78 cents for every dollar made by their male counterparts. The gap for women of color is even wider.

Equal Pay Day is an important reminder of this persistent wage gap and the urgent need to take action to ensure that women can receive equal pay for equal work.

President Obama took a crucial first step in addressing workplace discrimination by signing the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act in January. Now, you can help to support pressing for another bold strike against wage discrimination. Help to work for passage of the Paycheck Fairness Act, S. 182. Tell your Senator to support the Paycheck Fairness Act, S. 182 today!

The Paycheck Fairness Act has already passed the House of Representatives and is now pending in the Senate. This Act provides much needed updates to the Equal Pay Act of 1963 by closing loopholes and strengthening remedies. The bill would require employers to demonstrate that differences in wages among employees are not based on gender. It would also strengthen outreach, education and enforcement efforts and prohibit retaliation against workers who ask about employers' wage practices.

President Obama acted to protect victims of workplace discrimination by signing the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. Now is the time for all of us to press for the Paycheck Fairness Act. Help address this wage gap! Make Equal Pay Day a thing of the past by asking your Senator to support the Paycheck Fairness Act. Please tell your Senator to support the Paycheck Fairness Act, S. 182 today

Equal Pay Day - Successes & MORE ACTION AHEAD

2009-03-10T14:10:00.002-08:00

We’ve had a major success on pay equity already this year with the signing of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act — but the fight for equal pay isn’t over! Women still earn only 78 cents for every dollar earned by men. For women of color, the numbers are even worse! A bill before the Senate, the Paycheck Fairness Act, would help to deter wage discrimination against women. Please urge your Senators to support this bill, and find out more about equal pay for women.
AAUW is calling on supporters to blog and tweet about the importance of equal pay for women on April 28, Equal Pay Day.

If you are a blogger, click below and sign up to blog for equal pay for women! If you aren't yet a blogger, start a blog and then sign up to blog for equity!

http://action.nwlc.org/site/PageServer?pagename=Blog_for_Fair_Pay

Equal Pay Victory & Next Steps

2009-02-08T16:27:00.002-09:00

Thanks to all of you who contacted your legislators to encourage passage of The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. President Obama's signing of this legislation struck a powerful blow for justice not just for Lilly Ledbetter, but for anyone who has been victimized by wage discrimination.

The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act righted a wrong perpetrated by the Supreme Court in its deplorable 2007 Ledbetter v. Goodyear decision. Victims of wage discrimination had their rights stripped away in the Supreme Court decision involving Lilly Ledbetter’s case. The Court said that a complaint couldn’t be brought more than 180 days after the first act of discrimination, which meant, if a company could get away with discriminating for 180 days, it could go on discriminating forever. But, not now. As long as discrimination continues in the workplace, so too does an employee’s ability to do something about such discrimination!

This is a major victory! But, we have more work to do to ensure equal pay and equity. Let's celebrate this victory by paving the way for another important victory.

Now is the time to tell your Senators you want quick action on the Paycheck Fairness Act.

Women currently make, on average, only 78 cents for every dollar earned by men. The gap for women of color is even wider. We can help address this wage gap by updating the Equal Pay Act -- passed more than 45 years ago.

The Paycheck Fairness Act will put an end to loopholes and weak remedies that have made the Equal Pay Act less effective than it should be in combating wage discrimination. It will also strengthen outreach, education and enforcement efforts and it will prohibit retaliation against workers who ask about employers' wage practices.

Encourage your Senators to support the Equal Pay Act

It's About Love!

2008-12-19T15:50:00.002-09:00

Join John Schaefer in song on his birthday coming up this weekend. Celebrate LOVE, Equity, and Equality with Johnny's music video, below, and light a candle on his website

Happy Birthday Johnny! Keep raising your voice and encouraging the rest of us to raise our voices!

Far North Equity Action!

2008-12-19T10:52:00.002-09:00

Equity Action IS HAPPENING here in the FAR NORTH. The video below catches a slice of the action on a cold November 15th morning in Fairbanks, Alaska when hardy activists took to the sidewalk in front of City Hall to coment on the passage of Proposition 8 in California. We were joined by a couple of Californians, Irina Rivkin and Alma, who treated us to a performance of Irina's Octagenarian Marriage skit right there in the snow and cold. Irina also performed her song Check out Irina's website Rose Street Music to learn more about Irina's Live Looping and check out this link to hear more of Irina's music.

Prop 8 Actions for Equity

2008-12-11T16:43:00.006-09:00

Check out this new blog asking for action on the inequity resulting from Proposition 8 in California ... And, check out

Prop 8 - The Musical

by clicking on the underlined link above.

Irina Rivkin at UAF!

2008-11-22T17:26:00.000-09:00

Check out this video of Irina Rivkin and her LIVE LOOPING here at UAF on November 8th. If you missed the concert, you can catch some of her songs on YouTube. Great concert, and some super EQUITY aspects embedded!

International Friendship Day Warms Fairbanks

2008-10-18T18:43:00.009-08:00

As the days draw shorter and we see less sun up here near the Arctic Circle in Fairbanks, the 22nd International Friendship Day celebration brings warmth, friendship, and celebration to brighten our dwindling days. Check out some pictures from the event.

Contact Rosalind Kan ffrjk@uaf.edu if you'd like to be a part of International Friendship Day 2009.

Contributions to Equity

2008-10-18T16:26:00.003-08:00

University Women's Association (UWA) President Kayt Sunwood (right) presents a check for $1,000 to the Bunnell House Early Childhood Lab School at the University of Alaska Fairbanks in the Fall of 2008. Bunnell House Director Paige VonderHaar and an interested Lab School attendee check out the check. UWA increased its donation to Bunnell House this year knowing that a contribution to Bunnell House is a contribution to equity, now and in the future.

University Women's Association (UWA) celebrates 1950s

2008-10-18T15:30:00.009-08:00

The University Women's Association celebrated the 1950s at Fall Tea for members old and new, welcoming all who are interested in the UWA. Patty Hamilton hosted this 1950s themed membership event on Sunday, September 14, at her home (the University of Alaska President's Residence).

Members sported poodle skirts, saddle shoes and reminised about the 1950s. Many members brought something from the 50s, and shared stories from their lives, the lives of their parents or even grandparents.

Bobbie Rice regaled us with humorous stories of
1950s UAF and showed us this Mile Post magazine from her family's trip up to Fairbanks on the Alcan Highway during the 1950s.

Signs of Equity seen around Fairbanks :-)

2008-08-21T15:23:00.003-08:00

Great sign seen on Airport Way in Fairbanks!

Such sightings put a smile on the face of the Equity Avenger!

Equity Activist Action

2008-08-09T16:40:00.003-08:00

Check out this collaborative activist action I joined in April 08 with the Soc 263 students from Dr. Sine Anahita's Social Inequality and Stratification class. The Unruly Soc Students' sidewalk chalking to get the word out about pay inequities, and Dr. Martha West's Equal Pay Day keynote address were some of the UAF Women's Center highlights of Spring Semester! Stay tuned for activism events and opportunities this Fall 08!

Welcome!

2008-08-07T17:00:00.000-08:00

Welcome to SunTalker. I'm glad you dropped by. Here is a photo of me with my trusted friend, IceBear.