Fabulously Feminist News

Milwaukee Voters Approve Paid Sick Leave Law

11/11/2008 - Milwaukee voters approved a ballot referendum last week that will require paid sick leave for workers. The referendum, which passed with 68 percent voter approval, will require employers to provide workers with nine paid sick days. Businesses with less than 10 employees will be required to provide five paid sick days.

According to the , employees accumulate the maximum nine paid sick days per year by gaining an hour of paid sick-leave for every 30 hours worked. Only two other US cities have paid-sick leave measures. San Francisco passed a similar law in 2006 with 61 percent voter approval and Washington, DC is in the process of implementing a similar law, which was approved by the City Council earlier this year.

The Milwaukee law was strongly supported by 9 to 5, National Association of Working Women. According to Women's eNews, 9 to 5 Director Amy Stear said of the groups' success: "we knew this was an issue that resonated with people in the city who understand it's so important for families to have the ability to work and care for their families."

Media Resources: Chicago Tribune 11/6/2008, Women's eNews 11/8/08

kkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk



Pay Gap Persists Between Male and Female CEOs

11/11/2008 - A recent CEO Pay Survey finds that a wage gap exists between male and female CEOs. The latest findings from The Corporate Library's CEO Pay Survey: CEO Pay 2008, found that not only are female CEO pay packages (including bonuses, stock options, etc.) only about 85% of male CEOs' total pay packages, but female CEOs of the largest companies in the survey make less than two thirds of what is paid to their male counterparts.

According to BusinessWeek, the study's authors explained that their findings were affected by the higher number of male CEOs in the survey (only 3% of those surveyed were women) and the trend that men often have longer tenures than women. Also, the survey's authors noted successful leadership skills are often ascribed more to male leaders than to female leaders. Study author, Clara Kulich, told BusinessWeek that "a lot of research shows [men receive] a lot of internal attributions – people think that he must be responsible for increasing or decreasing" company performance. She added, "with a female manager, [boards are] more prone to use external situations, economic situations" to evaluate a CEO and company's performance.

Media Resources: BusinessWeek 11/6/2008, Corporate Library’s CEO

Pay Survey: CEO Pay 2008

kkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk

2008 Election Analysis: Gender Gap Delivers

11/10/2008 - Women's votes delivered the electoral votes of New Hampshire, North Carolina, Colorado, and Indiana to Barack Obama and elected several Democratic U.S. Senators. Overall 56% of women and only 49% of men voted for Barack Obama – a solid 7% gender gap. But because of Obama's widespread appeal a majority of men as well as women voted for Obama in 23 states with enough electoral votes to win.

In the Senate Races, women's votes elected Jean Shaheen (D-NH) over anti-choice Republican incumbent John Sununu; 60% of women and only 45% of men voted for Shaheen – for a whopping 15% gender gap. Victor Kay Hagan (D-NC) enjoyed a solid 8% gender gap (55%-47%) which produced her win over incumbent anti-choice Senator Elizabeth Dole.

"Women's votes produced decisive results in several US Senate races this election cycle. If only men would have voted Senators Sununu (R-NH) and Elizabeth Dole (R-NC) would have won," said Eleanor Smeal, president of the Feminist Majority and first observer to identify the gender gap in voting in 1980.

See a full analysis of the gender gap and election results here.

Feminist Majority Foundation; Interview with Eleanor Smeal 11/10/08
Media Resources: Feminist Majority Foundation; Interview with Eleanor Smeal 11/10/08