Marty Nemko
5936 Chabolyn Terrace
Oakland, CA 94618
Dear Mr. Nemko,
When I came across an article in the paper this morning about Equal Pay Day (April 25th), I was reminded of a piece you wrote a while back on how women now earn the same, if not more, than men. This sort of assertion generally makes my hackles bristle, and I went to your web site intending to reread the piece and then write to you about how angry I am about it. As often happens for me, my anger is diluted by confusion. I frequently read claims, in reputable publications, that the wage gap is as wide as ever. My female friends’ experiences attest to the same.
You have written again recently about the book to which you originally referred, Why Men Earn More, by Dr. Warren Farrell. Apparently his research is thorough and sound. Had I the free time, I might sit down with the various studies on the matter and form my own conclusions. If I did this with every issue for which I found contradictory information on different news sources, I would never sleep.
My best guess is that there are still many workplaces across the country in which women are paid less than men for the same work. There are likely plenty of places where the opposite is true, and a good number where pay is equal.
Trouble arises when we look at unequal pay as a problem. It is a symptom. Some people have it, some people don’t. In those who have it, it needs to be treated. Like a virus, it’s always rampant somewhere. There are companies that are in great need of scouring their offices with disinfectant, while others see few “sick days.” Forgive the runaway metaphor. The reason I can not get angry with you is that you seem to genuinely want to remind people how they can protect themselves from the Unequal Pay Virus. You offer thoughtful and balanced advice.
I get suspicious when people simplify things too much. Even with equal pay across the board, things will be different for women. How can we conquer “old boys’ clubs”? How can we eliminate sexual harassment? However we do it, it will probably take a shamefully long time.
Thanks for your time.
Truly,
Liz Mann
