All articles tagged with #pay equity
Steph Curry has publicly supported efforts to close the pay gap in women's basketball, highlighting the disparity between WNBA and NBA salaries, with players like Angel Reese advocating for fair compensation as they struggle to cover basic expenses on their current wages.
During the WNBA All-Star Game, players wore shirts protesting for fair pay and revenue sharing, highlighting ongoing disputes over a new collective bargaining agreement and emphasizing the need for better compensation and benefits for women basketball players.
WNBA All-Stars protested for better pay and benefits by wearing shirts that read 'Pay us what you owe us' during the All-Star Game warmup, following failed collective bargaining negotiations between players and the league, with potential walkouts if no agreement is reached by October.
During the 2025 WNBA All-Star Game warm-ups, players including Caitlin Clark wore T-shirts demanding fair pay, highlighting ongoing contract negotiations and pay disparities in the league. Clark, a rookie earning $78,000 this season, is paid significantly less than top players like Kelsey Mitchell, who earns over $249,000, despite their high-profile endorsements and contributions to the league. The players are advocating for better compensation and league growth.
Disney has agreed to pay $43.25 million to settle a pay equity class-action lawsuit involving up to 14,000 female employees, addressing claims of gender-based pay disparities. The settlement, which is significantly less than the potential $300 million liability, includes Disney's commitment to work with outside consultants to improve pay equality practices. The final approval of the settlement is expected in January 2025. The lawsuit, filed in 2019, accused Disney of violating California's Equal Pay Act by paying men more than women for the same work.
Taraji P. Henson expresses frustration that her comments on mistreatment and pay disparity in Hollywood are overshadowing the focus on the film "The Color Purple." She emphasizes that the movie's theme of oppression and healing should be the center of attention. Henson clarifies that her remarks were not directed at producer Oprah Winfrey and defends Winfrey's support on set. Despite the controversy, the film has achieved significant success at the box office, surpassing expectations with a $18 million profit domestically on its Christmas Day debut.
Oprah Winfrey responds to criticism regarding Taraji P. Henson's treatment on the set of The Color Purple, stating that she has been a strong supporter of the film and has addressed issues as they arose. Henson has spoken out about her struggles with pay equity and on-set accommodations, expressing frustration with the lack of support and recognition in the industry. Despite online speculation, both Winfrey and Henson have publicly expressed mutual respect and support for each other.
Disney is facing a growing class action lawsuit filed by nearly 9,000 female workers who allege pay discrimination. Newly unsealed court filings reveal internal emails where a supervisor expressed frustration over the denial of a promotion for a female employee, highlighting the inequity in opportunities for career advancement. The lawsuit challenges Disney's claims of equitable pay for women and men. A judge recently certified the class, which is believed to be one of the largest ever suing under an equal pay act claim. The case is set to go to trial in October.
President Biden plans to deliver a speech on Wednesday to highlight his economic achievements and promote "Bidenomics," which includes expanding manufacturing, investing in infrastructure, and transitioning to clean energy. Despite adding 13 million jobs during his presidency and record low unemployment rates for Black and Hispanic Americans, Biden's approval ratings have fallen due to inflation and recession fears. The new federal law, the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, goes into effect on Tuesday, requiring companies with more than 15 employees to provide reasonable accommodations for pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical events. The WTA commits to bringing prize money for its tournaments in line with men's competitions, but Saudi Arabia's plans for tennis could complicate the effort to achieve pay equity in the sport.
The WTA Tour has approved a plan to achieve pay equity at its biggest tournaments, but it won’t be fully implemented until 2033. Organizers of the 1000-level and 500-level tournaments have committed to pay equity as well, with all events featuring both men and women at those two levels paying prize money equal to that on the men’s tour beginning in 2027. By 2033, all events at those two levels will offer the same prize money. The phased-in approach is essential for raising the additional revenue to fund the pay increases, but some players do not understand the slow pace of change.
Women tennis players will compete for less than half as much money as men at the Italian Open, with organizers saying they intend to fix the pay discrepancy by 2025. The pay gap comes despite three tournaments in California, Florida, and Madrid that featured men and women competing for the same amount of prize money. Women often receive second billing in mixed tournaments, with less desirable schedules on smaller courts and lesser hotels. The explanations for women in tennis continuing to be so shortchanged include ingrained chauvinism, bad agreements with tournament owners, and the eat-what-you-kill nature of the sports business.
Brittney Griner and her wife Cherelle made their debut at the 2023 Met Gala. Griner is set to return to the WNBA later this month and has announced plans to write a memoir about her time in a Russian penal colony. The memoir will also highlight pay equity for women athletes in the United States. The Met Gala's theme this year is "Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty" and celebrates the late designer's work and life.
A survey of over 800 executive women found that what women really want at work is to be valued. This includes better practices, not just better policies, increased pay, and promotions. Women want flexibility and paid family leave to manage caregiving responsibilities, but these policies are now baseline expectations. Employers need to enforce behaviors that ensure all employees can take advantage of benefits without repercussions and champion women on their teams. Women also want more power in the workplace, which comes in the form of promotions and leadership diversity. Employers need to continuously set and track progress to ensure promotions are equitable and not succumbing to bias.
Djimon Hounsou, who has acted in prestigious dramas and big-budget blockbusters, says he is still fighting for proper recognition and fair pay in Hollywood. Despite Oscar nominations and turns in big-budget superhero movies, the actor says he still gets lowballed on acting jobs. Hounsou, who grew up in Benin and France before moving to the U.S. to pursue acting, felt iniquities from the early days of his career. He first broke out with a leading role in Steven Spielberg's historical drama Amistad, and though his performance was critically acclaimed, Hounsou was overlooked for an Oscar nomination while his costar Anthony Hopkins received one.