DES MOINES – Women allegedly make just 84 cents for every dollar men earn in Iowa, and some labor supporters are fed up and ready to march on the Capitol.
Iowans will gather at the Iowa State Capitol on Monday to share information and educate lawmakers and citizens about the persistent gender gap in earnings and to call for equal pay for women. AAUW Iowa is organizing the event to call attention to the gap in pay and to encourage solutions from legislators including Iowa’s stagnant minimum wage, still set at $7.25 per hour since 2009. Nearby Minnesota’s minimum wage is $10.85.
Research shows that women earn just eighty four cents for every dollar a man makes, the labor union says. The gap in wages has persisted for decades, and exists even within the same professions and with similar levels of education.
Democrats in the Iowa House this legislative session proposed a bill to raise Iowa’s minimum wage from $7.25 an hour to $10.85 by July 1, 2024. But Republicans appear to have blocked it and the bill is likely dead.
The details of this “educational event”:
WHAT: Educational event hosted by AAUW Iowa, joined by supporters of equal pay for women
WHEN: Monday, March 18, 12:00 – 3:00 PM
WHERE: Iowa State Capitol Rotunda, 1007 East Grand Ave, Des Moines, Iowa
DETAILS: Join AAUW Iowa as they educate legislators and the public about the persistent gender pay gap. Kathie Farris, Co-President of AAUW Iowa will be available to the press for interviews.
(Top photo: Employees at Mercy Hospital in Mason City)