Women Employed
Encyclopedia
Women Employed is a nonprofit advocacy organization based in Chicago, IL. Founded in 1973, Women Employed’s mission is to improve women’s economic status and remove barriers to economic equity. They promote fair workplace practices, increase access to training and education, and provide women with innovative tools and information to move into careers paying family-supporting wages.
Women Employed’s first major public event, attended by over 200 women, was a meeting of 26 of Chicago’s leading corporations to discuss fair employment policies for women. In its first year, WE published Working Women in the Loop – Underpaid, Undervalued, an investigation that used 1970 U.S. Census data on wages and employment patterns to expose substantial inequalities between women and men. The study found that women made up 45% of downtown Chicago’s labor force, yet earned only 25% of wages.
In the 1970s, Women Employed worked for economic equality alongside organizations in Chicago like the Coalition of Labor Union Women
. During that time, Women Employed fought hiring and job discrimination for non-union women in the city. By organizing public and legal actions, WE influenced workplace practices by affecting the public’s attitude toward equality for women. In 1977, WE led a series of public actions against the firing of Iris Rivera, a Chicago legal secretary who lost her job because she refused to make coffee for her boss. WE eventually got Rivera her job back.
In 1989, Women Employed helped women and minority employees of the Harris Trust and Savings Bank win $15 million in back pay, a record settlement for sexual and racial discrimination. Women Employed filed a complaint with the Federal Government against Harris in 1974 on the basis of Executive Order 11264. Prior to this case, companies were never forced to make payments surpassing $10 million in back wages for sex or racial discrimination cases.
WE worked with a national coalition to win passage of the federal Family and Medical Leave Act in 1993, which ensures employees up to 12 weeks of leave for medical purposes.
In 2003, WE helped pass the Illinois Equal Pay Act, which guarantees protection of equal pay for equal work to hundreds of thousands of workers not covered under the federal law.
In 2006, WE helped win $34.4 million in funding for the Monetary Award Program (MAP) grant, making college more accessible to more than 150,000 low-income students in Illinois.
WE was part of a national coalition that advocated for the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, the first women's rights legislation passed during the Obama administration. This law, signed in early 2009, increases employees’ ability to fight pay discrimination.
In 2010, the US Department of Labor selected WE’s Career Coach as a Top 10 Career Exploration Tool. Career Coach enables low-income, low-literacy adults to explore career options, define career goals, and identify local education and training resources.
Women Employed promotes equal pay, fair workplace practices, and work-family balance. As the leader of the Illinois Paid Leave Coalition, Women Employed is working to pass legislation that would guarantee all Illinois workers access to paid sick leave
which they could take when they are sick, or to care for sick family members. Women Employed also advocates for stronger anti-discrimination laws and equal employment opportunities in workplaces.
Women Employed advocates to ensure high-quality postsecondary education programs and to increase access to supports that help women succeed in education and training
History
In February 1973, a small group of Chicago women founded Women Employed (WE), through an initiative of the Loop YWCA. Organizers intended to mobilize networks of female workers around the common issues that affect their lives.Women Employed’s first major public event, attended by over 200 women, was a meeting of 26 of Chicago’s leading corporations to discuss fair employment policies for women. In its first year, WE published Working Women in the Loop – Underpaid, Undervalued, an investigation that used 1970 U.S. Census data on wages and employment patterns to expose substantial inequalities between women and men. The study found that women made up 45% of downtown Chicago’s labor force, yet earned only 25% of wages.
In the 1970s, Women Employed worked for economic equality alongside organizations in Chicago like the Coalition of Labor Union Women
Coalition of Labor Union Women
The Coalition of Labor Union Women is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization of trade union women affiliated with the AFL-CIO.CLUW has four goals:*Promoting affirmative action in the workplace*Strengthening the role of women in unions...
. During that time, Women Employed fought hiring and job discrimination for non-union women in the city. By organizing public and legal actions, WE influenced workplace practices by affecting the public’s attitude toward equality for women. In 1977, WE led a series of public actions against the firing of Iris Rivera, a Chicago legal secretary who lost her job because she refused to make coffee for her boss. WE eventually got Rivera her job back.
In 1989, Women Employed helped women and minority employees of the Harris Trust and Savings Bank win $15 million in back pay, a record settlement for sexual and racial discrimination. Women Employed filed a complaint with the Federal Government against Harris in 1974 on the basis of Executive Order 11264. Prior to this case, companies were never forced to make payments surpassing $10 million in back wages for sex or racial discrimination cases.
WE worked with a national coalition to win passage of the federal Family and Medical Leave Act in 1993, which ensures employees up to 12 weeks of leave for medical purposes.
In 2003, WE helped pass the Illinois Equal Pay Act, which guarantees protection of equal pay for equal work to hundreds of thousands of workers not covered under the federal law.
In 2006, WE helped win $34.4 million in funding for the Monetary Award Program (MAP) grant, making college more accessible to more than 150,000 low-income students in Illinois.
WE was part of a national coalition that advocated for the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, the first women's rights legislation passed during the Obama administration. This law, signed in early 2009, increases employees’ ability to fight pay discrimination.
In 2010, the US Department of Labor selected WE’s Career Coach as a Top 10 Career Exploration Tool. Career Coach enables low-income, low-literacy adults to explore career options, define career goals, and identify local education and training resources.
Promoting Fair Workplaces
Despite many improvements in women's economic status over the past three decades, employment discrimination and unfairness in the workplace are still a fact of life for many women. On average, women make only 78 cents for every dollar a man makes, and can lose up to $434,000 on average in wages over a lifetime due to the wage gap which persists despite education level. A disproportionate number of women are clustered in low-paying, part-time jobs, often without benefits or dependable hours.Women Employed promotes equal pay, fair workplace practices, and work-family balance. As the leader of the Illinois Paid Leave Coalition, Women Employed is working to pass legislation that would guarantee all Illinois workers access to paid sick leave
Sick leave
Sick leave is time off from work that workers can use during periods of temporary illness to stay home and address their health and safety needs without losing pay. Some workplaces offer paid sick time as a matter of workplace policy, and in few jurisdictions it is codified into law...
which they could take when they are sick, or to care for sick family members. Women Employed also advocates for stronger anti-discrimination laws and equal employment opportunities in workplaces.
Increasing Access to High-Quality Education and Training
Nearly 15 million women in the U.S. earn too little to cover basic living expenses for their families, despite working in full-time, year-round jobs. Education is one proven strategy for raising incomes. A woman with a two-year associate's degree earns 28 percent more and a woman with a bachelor's degree earns 75 percent more than a woman with only a high school education.Women Employed advocates to ensure high-quality postsecondary education programs and to increase access to supports that help women succeed in education and training
Leadership
The executive director of Women Employed is Anne Ladky, a founding member who joined the staff in 1977, and was named Executive Director in 1985. She is a nationally recognized expert on women’s employment issues, equal opportunity, workforce development and career advancement. Ladky has developed and directed innovative advocacy and training programs designed to improve women’s economic status and is the author of numerous reports, articles, and testimonies on economic issues. She holds appointments with the Illinois Workforce Investment Board, which oversees all state workforce development activity, and the Chicago Workforce Board, which advises the Mayor on employment training issues, and chaired the Governor’s Transition Task Force on Workforce Development. Ladky is also a member of the Chicago Network and the Community Advisory Board of the Junior League of Chicago.See also
- Chicago Sun-Times, "Women urged to fight for equal pay: Here's how to ask your boss for a raise," http://www.womenemployed.org/fileadmin/templates/docs/Sun-Times_-_The_Working_Lunch__5.20.09.pdf
- Lehrer NewsHour, "For women, long hours and low pay," http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/business/jan-june08/womenswork_04-14.html
- Wall Street Journal, “More Women Pursue Claims of Pregnancy Discrimination,” http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120657740153967147.html?mod=Careers_1
- Chicago Tribune, “Squeezed Out,” http://www.womenemployed.org/fileadmin/templates/docs/Tribune_-_Squeezed_Out_10-14-07.pdf
- Today's Chicago Woman, "The Last Word: Anne Ladky," http://www.womenemployed.org/fileadmin/templates/docs/TCW_-_Anne_profile_-_9-07.pdf
- Chicago Tribune, "Group helps rewrite future by opening college doors," http://www.womenemployed.org/fileadmin/templates/docs/Tribune_-_Group_helps_woman_s_future_-_12-10-06.pdf