WASHINGTON, DC – More than 40 local business owners in 12 states participated in events around Equal Pay Day today to raise awareness about the gender pay gap in the United States and to call for policies, such as a national paid family and medical leave program, to address this gap. Equal Pay Day -- April 2 this year -- marks how far into the year women must work to earn what men earned in the previous year.

Coordinated by the Main Street Alliance and MomsRising, small businesses served up facts about the gender pay gap and paid family and medical leave with specialty drink sleeves and napkins.

“It’s 2019, and women still make only 80 cents for every dollar a man makes.  For women of color, the wage gap is worse with black women typically making 61 cents and Latinas just 53 cents on the dollar.  That’s not only wrong; it’s bad for business and our economy,” said Amanda Ballantyne, National Director of the Main Street Alliance. “That’s why small business owners are coming together today to highlight this persistent gender pay gap and ways to close it. Strong paid family and medical leave insurance policies help women stay in the workforce and allow small businesses to become employers of choice in their communities. This Equal Pay, small businesses are making their values clear by educating their customers about the ripple effect inequality has in our local communities and advocating for a solution.”

“Working families can no longer afford the burden of the wage gap. Right now, moms make just 69 cents for every dollar paid to white dads, while women and moms of color experience further wage hits on top of that. If the wage gap were eliminated, working women would be able to afford 14 more months of child care or 10 more months of rent each year,” said Ruth Martin, MomsRising Vice President of Workplace Justice Campaigns. “Three-quarters of mothers are now breadwinners for their families, so when moms make less, more women and children fall into poverty. And this is not a small number of impacted people: Nearly a quarter of children are now living in poverty in our nation. Families making less also spend less, which impacts our consumer-driven economy. If women had pay parity, studies show our national GDP would increase by 3 percent.”

In addition to the specialty drink sleeves and napkins, some businesses hosted trivia events and press conferences highlighting state-specific issues of paid leave and gender pay equity. In Oregon, Washington and North Carolina, the sleeves were available at coffee shops in the respective state capitol buildings. Participating businesses include restaurants, coffee shops, clam shacks, ice cream parlors, and a ski resort.

In the United States, women are paid 80 cents for every dollar paid to men. Women of color and moms face even bigger wage disparities: for every dollar white men earn, black women are typically paid 61 cents, Latinas are paid just 53 cents, and Native American women make 58 cents. Compared to fathers, moms overall make 69 cents on the dollar.

Lack of paid family and medical leave is a major contributor to the gender pay gap. Because women still take on the majority of responsibilities when it comes to caring for children and elderly, they are more likely to have to leave the paid labor force to provide family care. Access to paid leave increase the chance that women will return to work, return to their previous employer, and receive the same or higher wages. Research shows that the creation of a paid family and medical leave program like the FAMILY Act would result in a 7 percent wage increase for women and thus a 7 percent decrease in gender wage inequality.

States participating in the April 2 action include Colorado, Iowa, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Vermont, Washington and North Carolina. See below for quotes from business owners in each state.

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Participating states:

Iowa: “Being an advocate is about being positive. I value myself, and I believe in my and every other woman's capability. To that end, it is my duty to remind the world all women deserve equal pay. I believe the best way to give our sons and our daughters a bright future is to advocate for policies like paid family and medical leave that help level that level the playing field for women. These policies strengthen our families, small businesses & communities.” - Diane Peterson, Karma Coffee Café in Hiawatha

Maine: “As a small business owner, I am participating in Equal Pay Day because we can’t afford discrimination and lower wages. If we eliminated substandard wages for women, the resulting economic boom would benefit us all, including small businesses like mine where women spend their earnings. It's not just the right thing to do — it's good for Main Street small businesses.” - Kelley Hughes, Wildflours Gluten-Free Bakery in Brunswick

Michigan: “Now that I have my own business, I work hard to ensure my employees make a fair wage and can support their families. I know treating all of my employees fairly and respectfully is not just the right thing to do; it’s good business.” - April Anderson, Good Cakes and Bakes in Detroit

Minnesota: "As a woman business owner, equal pay is about knowing your value and asserting that in how you put your products out and how you hire. My staff is all female and female-identifying individuals. I want them to be able to live happy, full lives with jobs that include benefits like health care and paid leave. I want whoever works for me to make a career out of the job, and that’s why I support policies like earned sick and safe time, paid family leave and affordable health care for all."  - Elizabeth Spehar, owner of Snooty Fox Tea Shop in Duluth

Nevada: “As hardworking women small business owners, we support equal pay for hardworking women across the country. At Scratch Made we make our pastries, pies and other treats with a care reminiscent of years gone by. But our public policy shouldn't be stuck in the past. We need strong legislation that will fight gender disparities and ensure equal work receives equal pay.” - Ally Yaeker and Savannah King, Scratch Made in Las Vegas

Oregon: “We've been talking about this since I was a teenager. It's time to end the discrimination. I don't want my daughters to still be having this conversation when they're my age. We need to stop talking about solutions and start making real change. Passing policies like paid family and medical leave help to actually address some of these inequalities and create more stable families which lead to more stable local economies and thriving small businesses." - Peter Emerson, Bipartisan Cafe in Portland

Pennsylvania: “I’m proud to be playing a part in the revitalization of downtown Lancaster and helping grow our community. But, this last year running our shop has taught me we have a long way to go. Lancaster’s growth can’t be sustained unless we build a more equitable economy that includes those being left behind. Women shouldn’t have to work overtime to overcome the gender pay gap.” - Chelsea Zawisa, Harvest Moon Bagels in Lancaster

Vermont: “As a radical feminist chocolate shop, we are absolutely thrilled to disseminate this critical information about the wage gap in America, and the many repercussions of this epidemic injustice.” - Jaquelyn Rieke Nutty Steph's in Middlesex

The Main Street Alliance works to provide small businesses a voice on the most pressing public policy issues across the nation. Our advocacy promotes vibrant businesses and healthy communities and fosters leadership development of socially responsible business leaders.