September 18, 2017 - Latino Leaders Oppose Trump Administration Reversal on Pay Data Collection to Close Gender and Race Pay Disparities

September 19, 2017

LATINO LEADERS OPPOSE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION REVERSAL ON PAY DATA COLLECTION TO CLOSE GENDER AND RACE PAY DISPARITIES

WASHINGTON, D.C., - The National Hispanic Leadership Agenda, a coalition of 45 of the nation’s preeminent Latino advocacy organizations, issued the following statement in opposition to the Office of Management and Budget’s (OMB) decision to halt pay data collection on the basis of gender, race, and ethnicity. Under the Obama administration, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) announced an update to the Employer Information Report (EEO-1) to gather data about compensation from employers. This data collection practice was intended to help address gender and race wage disparities by providing the type of transparency needed to identify and eradicate discriminatory patterns in hiring, paying, and promoting employees. Given that Latinas typically earn only 54 cents for every dollar earned by White men, NHLA has long advocated for EEOC’s aggressive enforcement of civil rights employment protections. OMB’s decision to stop pay data collection threatens the livelihoods of millions of women and communities of color.

“The fact that The Office of Management and Budget has instructed the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to put a hold on its EEO-1 pay data collection efforts is an attempt to further undermine workers’ rights,” said Hector Sanchez Barba, Chair of NHLA and Executive Director of the Labor Council for Latin American Advancement (LCLAA). “Latina workers face the largest gender wage gap of any worker in our nation, earning just 54 cents to the dollar earned by white male workers. This data is critical data to measure whether Latina workers continue to be deprived of equal compensation for their work.”

“Pay discrimination on the basis of gender not only undermines the economic security of women, but also jeopardizes our nation’s economic engine –– working families, particularly those Hispanic households who rely on the income of mothers to put food on the table and a roof over their heads,” said Eric Rodriguez, Co-Chair of NHLA’s Economic Empowerment and Labor Committee and Vice President of UnidosUS. “Robust data collection would help address the Latina wage gap, providing businesses with the information needed to remedy unjustified pay disparities. As the Senate holds a confirmation hearing on President Trump’s nominee to chair the EEOC, Senators should press the nominee’s commitment to equal pay and enforcement of civil rights employment laws.”

“Disparities in wages and salaries based on race, ethnicity and gender continue despite our aspirations for equal opportunity and non-discrimination in the workplace. A new study published by the National Academy of Sciences reveals the drastic misperceptions among Americans about income equality. The EEOC’s request for aggregate pay data based on race, ethnicity and gender is a sensible way to obtain objective information that is likely to lead many businesses to improve their employment practices,” said Bruce Goldstein, President of Farmworker Justice and Co-Chair of the NHLA Economic Empowerment and Labor Committee.

"As we work to address the health disparities in the Latinx community, we are constantly reminded of the persistent and overwhelming gender-based wage gap which continues to harm women, their families and the economy – and is particularly damaging for Latinas. Not only do Latinas face the largest wage gap compared to women of other ethnic groups, they are also overly represented in low-wage sectors jobs which provide few-to-no benefits like health insurance, paid vacation, and maternity or family leave. Women's ability to be healthy is critical to the stability of their families and communities; they are the backbones of their families, drivers of their families’ integration into the community and are decision-makers regarding the families’ health care. We will continue fighting for a comprehensive solution to economic justice for all, including the nearly three million family households in the United States headed by Latinas," said Jessica González-Rojas, executive director at the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health.

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ABOUT THE NATIONAL HISPANIC LEADERSHIP AGENDA

The National Hispanic Leadership Agenda is composed of 45 of the leading national and regional Latino civil rights and public policy organizations and other elected officials, and prominent Latinos Americans. NHLA coalition members represent the diversity of the Latino community – Mexican Americans, Puerto Ricans, Cubans, and other Latino Americans. NHLA’s mission calls for unity among Latinos around the country to provide the Latino community with greater visibility and a clearer, stronger influence in our country’s affairs. NHLA brings together Latino leaders to establish policy priorities that address, and raise public awareness of, the major issues affecting the Latino community and the nation as a whole. For more information, please visit: www.nationalhispanicleadership.org.

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