SHE’S THE DIRECTOR OF THE FOOD
LABOR RESEARCH CENTER AT THE
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA BURKE K
BERKELEY.
THE ISSUE IS IF YOU CAN NEVER
CATCH UP TO WAGES, THERE IS NO
CHANCE OF BUILDING WEALTH.
WHEN THINGS LIKE THIS HAPPEN,
THESE ECONOMIC SHOCKS IN WHICH
PEOPLE ARE LAID OFF, WOMEN GET
HIT HARDER, WOMEN OF COLOR GET
HIT YET HARDER BY VIRTUE OF THE
TYPES OF JOBS THEY HOLD.
>> THAT’S RIGHT.
WE’RE NOT ACTUALLY TALKING ABOUT
BUILDING WEALTH.
WE’RE TALKING ABOUT HAVING
SAVINGS TO SURVIVE THROUGH A
CRISIS LIKE THIS.
MUCH MUCH LOWER IN WOMEN WHO
TEND TO BE CONCENTRATED IN LOWER
WAGE JOBS AS IT IS.
IT’S IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND
THIS DATES BACK A WAY LONG WAY
BACK IN HISTORY TO SLAVERY.
AT EMANCIPATION THERE WERE
SEVERAL INDUSTRIES THAT WANTED
TO HIRE BLACK WOMEN AND NOT PAY
THEM ANYTHING, HAVE THEM LIVE
EXCLUSIVELY ON THE WHIMS AND
MERCIES OF IN SOME CASES WITH
DOMESTIC WORKERS, THEIR
EMPLOYER, OR IN SOME CASES AS
WAS THE CASE WITH RESTAURANT
WORKERS, TO LIVE ON TIPS.
IN 1938 AS PART OF THE NEW DEAL,
SEVERAL GROUPS OF BLACK WORKERS
WERE LEFT OUT, BLACK WOMEN
WORKERS.
FARM WORKERS WERE LEFT OUT.
THEY WERE LARGELY BLACK MEN.
TIPPED RESTAURANT WORKERS WERE
LEFT OUT.
FAST FORWARD TODAY.
YOU’VE GOT A ZERO DOLLAR WAGE IN
1938 FOR TIPPED BLACK WOMEN
RESTAURANT WORKERS FOR EXAMPLE.
TODAY THE WAGE IS $2.13 AN HOUR.
THAT’S THE CURRENT FEDERAL
MINIMUM WAGE FOR TIPPED WORKERS
WHO ARE 70% FEMALE,
DISPROPORTIONATELY WOMEN OF
COLOR.
WE JUST PUT OUT A REPORT SHOWING
THAT EVEN TODAY LOTS OF PEOPLE
WORK IN THE RESTAURANT INDUSTRY
BUT EVEN TODAY THERE IS A $5 PER
HOUR WAGE GAP BETWEEN WHITE MEN
AND BLACK WOMEN IN THE
RESTAURANT INDUSTRY BECAUSE OF
CUSTOMER BIAS IN TIPPING,
BECAUSE WOMEN OF COLOR WORK IN
CASUAL RESTAURANTS RATHER THAN
FINE DINING.
THAT ACTUALLY GETS WORSE IN NEW
YORK AND MASSACHUSETTS, WHICH
ARE SUPPOSEDLY RACIALLY
PROGRESSIVE.
THEY ACTUALLY HAVE AN $8 PER
HOUR WAGE GAP.
NEW YORK AND MASSACHUSETTS ARE
SECOND ONLY TO ATLABAMA IN BEING
THE WORST STATES IN THE COUNTRY
IN TERMS OF THIS HUGE WAGE GAP
BETWEEN WHITE MEN AND BLACK
WOMEN BECAUSE OF PERSISTENT
RACISM, PERSISTENT SEXISM THAT
REALLY DATES BACK ALL THE WAY TO
AFTER EMANCIPATION.
>> SO YOU BRING UP THE CASE OF
PEOPLE WORKING IN RESTAURANTS,
BUT THERE ARE A LOT OF CASES IN
WHICH BLACK WOMEN WORK.
I’LL GIVE YOU THE LIST INCLUDING
DOCTORS, NURSES, TEACHERS, CHILD
CARE WORKERS, WAITRESSES AS YOU
MENTIONED, CASHIERS.
ON AVERAGE ACROSS THOSE
PROFESSIONS, BLACK WOMEN ARE
PAID BETWEEN 11 AND 27% LESS
THAN WHITE MEN WHO ARE WORKING
THE SAME JOB.
BECAUSE WHENEVER WE TALK ABOUT
UNEQUAL PAY BETWEEN MEN AND
WOMEN, YOU GET CONSERVATIVE
ECONOMIST WHO IS SAY IT’S GOT TO
DO WITH EDUCATION LEVELS.
YOU’RE ACTUALLY TALKING JOB FOR
JOB, SAME JOB TO SAME JOB, BLACK
WOMEN GET PAID LESS.
>> THAT’S RIGHT.
YOU CAN TAKE HIGH WAGE JOBS.
YOU SEE BLACK DOCTORS, BLACK
LAWYERS, BLACK WOMEN TEACHERS
EARNING LESS, BLACK WOMEN
PROFESSORS FOR SURE EARNING
LESS.
IT’S ALSO TRUE AT THE LOW WAGE
END OF THE SPECTRUM WHERE WOMEN
CANNOT AFFORD THAT WAGE GAP.
FOR LOW AGE WORKERS IN
PARTICULAR, AS THE PROFESSOR AS
YOU INDICATED TALKED ABOUT, THE
PANDEMIC HAS REALLY CREATED A
SITUATION IN WHICH THAT GAP,
THAT WAGE DIFFERENTIAL IS NO
LONGER JUST UNETHICAL, IMMORAL,
UNJUST AND OUTRAGEOUS.
IT IS NOW A MATTER OF SURVIVAL,
BECAUSE FOR THE RESTAURANT
WORKERS AND THE GHEKDOMESTIC WOR
AND RETAIL WORKERS AND NURSES
WHO ARE DISPROPORTIONATELY WOMEN
OF COLOR, THAT DIFFERENTIAL
BETWEEN BLACK WOMEN AND WHITE
MEN NOW MEANS CAN I PAY THE
RENT, CAN I FEED MY CHILDREN,
CAN I SURVIVE, CAN MY FAMILY
SURVIVE.
THAT DIFFERENTIAL MEANS ALL THE
DIFFERENCE IN THE WORLD.
TAKE FOR EXAMPLE WE HAVE A JAMIE
WHO WORKED AT A HIGH END
RESTAURANT IN NEW YORK CITY.
SHE EXPERIENCED DISCRIMINATION
CONSTANTLY.
SHE WAS CALLED THE WORD MA’AMMMY
ONE POINT BY HER WHITE MANAGER.
SHE WAS GIVEN LESSER SHIFTS AND
SECTIONS.
OVER TIME SHE ACCEPTED IT, BUT
WHEN THE PANDEMIC STRUCK AND SHE
HAD NOTHING TO FALL BACK ON, IT
BECAME A MATTER OF SURVIVAL.
SHE WAS ASKED TO GO BACK TO WORK
WITH NO PROTECTION, NO SAFETY
PROTOCOLS AND SHE LOST HER
UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE FOR NOT