Posted on 04/22/2007 4:35:55 PM PDT by Lorianne
At least five restaurants here say they will drop prices for women patrons by 23 percent Tuesday to reflect a conclusion that American women, on average, earn that much less than men.
"I was in the corporate world before we moved to Baker City," said Brandi Ulrey, who with her husband Jake owns the Baker City Cafe.
"I understand how it is to earn a smaller paycheck than a man." The cafe will be joined by the Main Event, Little Pig, Chamealeon and L&J Deli.
The event sponsor, the American Association of American Women, says 23 percent of the year will have passed, and that that's how many extra days women would have to work this year to make what similarly trained and educated men would make. The association has a Baker County chapter.
The advocacy organization plans to release a study on pay equity Monday.
Ulrey said the discount is more about creating awareness than making a difference in a life.
"There are so many women who are in the same boat. It's our duty as business owners and leaders in the community to make people understand the disparity," she said.
Jay Raffety, owner of The Main Event, says he is fully supportive.
"This is a good thing the AAUW is doing," he said. "We're hoping quite a few women will come in that day."
Liz Estabrooks, the local event organizer, said many working women shy away from pushing the pay equity issue for fear of being fired.
"Pay equity is protected by law, but it's like sexual harassment," she said. "Women tend not to fight it because they might lose their job."
An AAUW survey concludes that many employers are unwilling to promote young women because they may leave to have children and may prioritize family over work.
"It's always been used as an excuse, that women are on a different career track," Estabrooks said. "It's also been used as an excuse not to hire women, because they'd just quit anyway or at least take time off to have their babies. It's a lot like the illegal alien issue," she added.
"Bosses figure they'll pay you less because you'll take less. Then people get mad at them because they will work for less."
I think it is silly when legislatures pass pricing anti-discrimination laws. If a business is engaging in pricing practices that stupidly discriminate against some of their customers then the quickest, most effective approach is for customers to stop patronizing the offending business.
Meaty, beefy, big and bouncy ones?
My State government pays employees on average more money, provides better benefits, and higher pensions for retirees, for comparable supposed work.
Can I sue the State for discrimination?
OOOH, sorry guys, that’s going to get you in hot water. Your fellow liberals last decade made sex discrimination illegal.
Hint: find a senior citizen, ask them to explain what happened to ‘ladies night’.
I think men should take their business elsewhere, and do so for a very long time.
That is certainly the restaurant’s perogative — it will also be the men’s perogative to stop going to restaurants where they are being asked to subsidize the women’s meals...
Only hetro couples or females should continue going...
Single men — stay AWAY!
Semper Fi
So does that mean some woman with a corporate job who is probably already earning a salary equal to that of her male counterparts, will get this ‘benefit’ as well as a woman working in an entry level job to help her husband make ends meet? Doesn’t seem quite ‘fair’ to me.
On the contrary, it should be the number one destination for men -- who don't tip. That evens the price out. The time to bail is when they raise menu prices to pay the wait staff straight salaries.
No, but I’ve known a number who are paid more than men for the same job and with less experience.
Not saying I disagree with your post, but I couldn’t get anything to show up when I Googled that quote. Got chpter & verse on that?
I want to send it to my wife...just rattlin’ the cage as it waere...;)
” Meaty, beefy, big and bouncy ones?”
Lower prices lure many types.
Ore-gone....
"A continual dropping in a very rainy day and a contentious woman are alike." - Proverbs (ch. XXVII, v. 15)
How about I show my peter, and you charge me twelve percent more!
I will queitly step back and observe that one for kicks.
And accordingly, the waitresses will get 23% less in tips...a self-fulfilling prophecy.
That's exactly why bars used to have "Ladies' Nights" with half price drinks for women. Many men didn't mind paying full price for drinks in a bar where most of the women had twice as many drinks as they should have. :-)
Bingo!
In my professional life I’ve found the trend continues. Women who have less experience and education than I do are put into higher band levels. In my current job I replaced a team of two women who both moved on to other positions. Since I took over the process, yield, productivity and cycletime improved well beyond what those two did working together, but I get a song and dance from management every time I ask about being promoted to the same level as a woman who had five years less experience and 1/2 the responsibility.
Since I was given that response I've started seriously looking for a new job. None the less it proves to me that the wives tale about women getting paid less is nonsense for women to play the victim.
My husband and I started out with the same state agency at the same time. Our jobs were comparable with responsibilities, etc; our pay band was the same- yet he started out higher than I did. That was with a Government agency too.
I’m not trying to attack you, I truly want to know.
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