(Washington, D.C.)Following is a statement by SEIU President Mary Kay Henry regarding Equal Pay Day, the day of the year in which the average annual wage for women catches up to what the average man earned the previous year.

It's shameful that 50 years after equal pay for equal work became the law of the land, we still have reason to observe the gross pay disparity between men and women, and we haven't progressed enough to put Equal Pay Day to rest.

"In spite of many advances in the workplace, women still earn on average 77 cents for every dollar a man earns, even when they have similar education, skills and experience. For women of color, the disparity is worse. Black women earn 69.2 percent and Latina women earn 60 percent of what the average male earns. The wage gap robs hardworking women and their families of needed income and contributes to income inequality.

"We have the power to end this wage gap. An important step was the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, the first bill signed by President Obama when he took office. Lawmakers should go further by passing the Paycheck Fairness Act, a comprehensive bill that would help reduce the wage gap by equipping workers with protections and tools to fight wage discrimination.

"The hardworking men and women of SEIU are committed to reducing income inequality and support laws such as the Paycheck Fairness Act and any other means to ensure all workers receive equal pay for equal work."

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