Latina Equal Pay Day - Statement by Vice President Joe Biden
Latinas are the hearts of their families and communities. So often, they’re the main breadwinners and the caregivers, too. Our economy does not work without them – but for too long, they have been underpaid and undervalued. On Latina Equal Pay Day, we call attention to the fact that Latinas make only 54 cents on the dollar compared to the average, non-Hispanic white man. That means they’ll lose over $1 million over their lifetime in comparison. It’s wrong.
And now, President Trump’s failed response to this pandemic has plunged our nation not just into a recession, but into a “she-cession” – with millions of women, particularly Latinas and women of color, bearing the brunt of lost hours, lost wages, lost businesses, and lost jobs. Millions of Latinas are still out of work or have dropped out of the labor force completely since COVID-19 hit.
Our country can’t afford another four years of Donald Trump. Latinas know they deserve better – and that is why they are mobilizing, voting, and making sure their friends and family turn out at the polls. Latinas are demanding an equal shot at opportunity and prosperity, and a fairer, more inclusive future for their families.
As President, I’ll work for them every day. That starts with containing this virus—which has so disproportionately hit the Latino community—so we can get our lives back. And I’ll make sure we don’t just rebuild; we’ll build back better, closing the gender wage gap and fighting wage discrimination, so that Latinas — and all women — are paid equally for equal work. I’ll also fight to pass a $15 federal minimum wage; make it easier for workers to organize and bargain collectively; and break down barriers to higher paying jobs, including by boosting training and education opportunities and providing paid family leave, affordable child care, and affordable health care.
The economic challenges facing Latinas have been ignored and worsened by President Trump. A Biden-Harris Administration will build back better for them and their families, starting from day one.
