Tuesday, April 2 is Equal Pay Day, when we acknowledge the time it takes for women’s average salaries in the United States to catch-up to what white men earned in 2018.
That’s right—three whole months.
On average, women in Minnesota earn roughly 82 cents for every dollar a white man earns. And that gap widens when you factor in race—Asian American women in Minnesota earn 72 cents to the dollar, Black women earn 60 cents to the dollar, Native American women earn 57 cents to the dollar, and Latinas earn 53 cents to the dollar.
And we know that other factors, such as age, ability, immigration status, sexuality, and gender identity, also affect equal pay.
There’s no single cause to the wage gap. Sexism, racism, and other forms of discrimination manifest into bias in opportunity, mentorship and networking, hiring, salaries, promotions, and leave practices. We need both cultural and structural changes to close the gap, including a slate of policy reforms like paycheck transparency, paid family and medical leave (PFML), and earned sick and safe time (ESST).
This year at the legislature, we have an opportunity to help bridge the divide by passing PFML and ESST statewide.
To help fuel the movement, 5 small businesses in Minnesota are partnering with Main Street Alliance of Minnesota and Moms Rising to raise awareness around the pay gap and how paid time to care can bring us closer to pay equity in our state. Check them out:
Butter Bakery Cafe (3700 Nicollet Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55409)
Butter Bakery care is a locally owned business in Southwest Minneapolis. It has been open since 2006 and are committed to serving the surrounding neighborhoods. In 2017 they joined the effort for fair wage practices and moved to a no-tip model for pricing and compensation.
Owner Dan Swenson Klatt: “At Butter Bakery, every day is Equal Pay Day. Our employees earn sick time, have access to at least some paid family leave, and are paid fair wages. But we have to do more to close the wage gap in Minnesota, and that starts by creating a bottom floor for sick time statewide, and creating a paid family pool that would be a win-win for small businesses and our employees alike.”
Moon Palace Books & Geek Love Café (3032 Minnehaha Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55406)
Moon Palace Books has been a Minneapolis favorite since it opened up in 2012. An independently owned neighborhood bookstore, last year they expanded to serving pizza, beer, and wine in Geek Love Café inside their establishment. They are a community gathering space, offering book clubs, music performances, and readings.
Co-Owner Angela Schwesnedl: “I’m participating in Equal Pay Day to help spread the word about paid family and medical leave legislation. This policy will help close the gender pay gap by allowing women, who are still disproportionately caring for children and aging parents, to leave to provide family care without losing pay.
Momma’s Kitchen (1058 Maryland Ave E, St. Paul, MN 55106)
The three founders of Momma’s Kitchen wanted to bring soul food to Eastside St. Paul, where they grew up. And they did. On opening day in September 2018, they had a line out the door. But the owners are not only committed to serving delicious, creative soul food—they care about giving back to their community. And equal pay and paid time to care are personal to them as business owners.
Co-Owner Wintana Melekin: “Overall, women in the United States are paid 80 cents for every dollar paid to men. Women of color and moms face even bigger wage gap disparities—Black women are typically paid 61 cents and Latinas are paid just 53 cents on the dollar. This wage gap hurts women’s income, purchasing power, and upward mobility. It means it’s harder for women, especially women of color, to start their own businesses.”
Workhorse Coffee Bar (2399 University Ave W, St Paul, MN 55114)
It’s hard to walk into Workhorse Coffee Bar and not see someone you know. Since it opened in 2015, the coffee shop has become a regular spot for people in the neighborhood to meet, study, and work. The coffee bar was opened by Ty Barnett and her wife, Shannon Forney. In addition to espresso and flatbread, Workhorse Coffee Bar is home to the smallest museum in St. Paul.
Co-owner Ty Barnett: “We put everything in our personal lives on the table in order to open our small business. Four years later, we put everything on the table every day – by speaking up, speaking out, and speaking truth. A values-based approach has been the key to much of our small business success.”
Snooty Fox Tea Shop (1831 E 8th St. Duluth, MN 55812)
Snooty Fox Tea Shop was opened by Duluth-native Elizabeth Spehar in 2014. Elizabeth wanted to bring some of her favorite drinks and flavors to the city—tea, kombucha, bubble tea. They have up to 115 teas to choose from. Elizabeth also infused the tea shop with other things she loves—art, travel, curiosity. And, of course, equity.
Owner Elizabeth Spehar: “As a woman business owner, equal pay is about knowing your value and asserting that in how you put out your products and how you hire. My staff is all female and female-identifying individuals. I want them to be able to live happy, full lives with jobs that include benefits like health care and paid leave. I want whoever works for me to make a career out of the job, and that’s why I support policies like earned sick and safe time, paid family leave and affordable health care for all.”
Grabbing coffee at one (or all) of the local businesses on Tuesday? Don’t forget to join the conversation on social media! Snap a picture and use the hashtag #EqualPayDay. And be sure to tag us: @TakeActionMN @MainStreet_MN @MomsRising.
- Sign our ESST petition and make sure workers across the state have access to the time they need to care for themselves and their loved ones.
- Stay connected to the fight for ESST and PFML. Receive TakeAction Minnesota action alerts and legislative updates on issues like paid time to care, health care, and more.
- Learn more about Main Street Alliance of Minnesota and find out how you can get involved.
