Fighting for Equal Pay
Written by Jill Osur
Fighting for equal rights, women’s rights, and equal pay is a fight we are in for the long haul. I know the work we do is needed, especially in this trying time in our country. Even with that said, it still hurts and it baffling when some of our nation’s largest and/or iconic employers are so outwardly egregious on equity and pay.
Photo credit: 10best.com
The Los Angeles Times is the latest to show its true colors. I often look to LA Times for the facts and bringing stories to the forefront that need to be told. A story they would have loved to stay hidden is that of the pay inequity of Latinx food critic Patricia Escárcega. Patricia is being paid two-thirds of what her co-critic Bill Anderson is being paid. “Why hire the first Latinx restaurant critic in the history of the L.A. Times and then pay them so much less for doing the exact same work?” she tweeted. “I refuse to let this discrimination stand. It is immoral, unethical, and illegal.”
Bill Anderson agrees. Anderson tweeted “I stand with Patricia in her fight for equity. We are co-critics, we perform the same job, we should be paid equally.” You would think with his support, that would be the end of it, salary adjusted, all good in the world. Think again.
This is not new for the Los Angeles Times, but it certainly puts them in tough place given last week, 240 Black, Latino, and woman journalists settled a class-action lawsuit where they accused management of paying this group less than their white male peers. But even after all of this, and a grievance filed by Patricia six months ago through her union, she finally heard from management over the weekend in a two-page memo that said her salary will not increase or reach the level of pay of her co-critic.
While support is coming from far and wide on social media supporting Patricia, it’s time for action and meaningful change from companies like the Los Angeles Times. There simply is no justifiable reasoning for this pay discrepancy, not one!
At Teneral Cellars we stand up, speak up and speak out for cases of inequity like this. We hope in reading this that you will support Patricia by following her on twitter @piescarcega, sharing your thoughts and showing her employer that she is worth it! When women support women, we can create change!