The 3.5-Month Gap

This mid-April date symbolizes that women effectively work an extra 104 days just to “catch up” to their male counterparts. While today is the average, the gap is often even wider for Indigenous women, Black women, and women with disabilities, whose symbolic “Equal Pay Day” won’t arrive until much later in the year.

Fair Pay Through Transparency

One of the most effective ways to close this gap is through union contracts. In unionized workplaces, pay is tied to the job title and qualifications rather than the individual. By using these transparent, negotiated scales, contracts ensure that every worker is paid what the position is worth. This removes personal bias and ensures fair compensation for everyone, regardless of their background or identity.