WASHINGTON, Aug. 3, 2017 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — The Labor Council for Latin American Advancement (LCLAA) announces its second National Latina Equal Pay Day Summit, along with a first of its kind Latina Gender Equity Fellows initiative, which will be comprised of skill-building training, grassroots mobilization and advocacy aimed at closing the Latina wage gap.  Latinas are among the most adversely affected by the gender pay gap, earning just 54 cents to the dollar earned by a white male yet according to the U.S. Census they are contributing to over half of the overall U.S. population growth.

“On average, Latinas will lose over a million dollars over the course of a 40 year career because of the gender wage gap,” said Mónica Ramírez, Deputy Director of LCLAA. “The wage gap that Latinas face is unacceptable and results in long-standing harm for Latinas and their families. The Latina Equal Pay campaign aims to empower workers, community members and national leaders across public and private sectors to focus on accountability and the solutions required to achieve Latina equity.”

This year’s Latina Equal Pay events will begin on November 1, 2017 with an intensive boot camp for the fellowship participants, followed by a solutions summit that will be open to the public on November 2, 2017, the day that Latinas finally catch up to what white male workers earned in the prior calendar year. The two-day event follows the success of last year’s pioneering national campaign which LCLAA led in collaboration with EqualPayToday!, AFL-CIO, and National Women’s Law Center, along with other women’s organizations, Latino civil rights groups, unions, and many other groups. Together the coalition of organizations and unions engaged millions of voices and generated over 40 million earned impressions in just one day. It is an empowerment platform and national campaign focused on Equality for Latinas, trending as #LatinaEqualPay.

LCLAA has been working for decades to advance the rights of Latino working families through grassroots mobilization and policy advocacy.  The Latina Gender Equity Fellowship program will further the goals of the LCLAA’s Trabajadoras (Latina worker) campaign, which was launched in 2012. Individuals will have the opportunity to apply to be selected as a LCLAA fellow from now until August 31, 2017. Participants will be selected based on a nomination process that will identify up to 25 trailblazing Latina leaders who will take part in a yearlong program aimed at advancing gender equity through engagement at the state and federal level.

“Latinas are the most oppressed group of workers,” said Hector Sanchez, Chair of the National Hispanic Leadership Agenda (NHLA), the largest coalition of Latino advocacy organizations in the nation and Executive Director of the Labor Council for Latin American Advancement (LCLAA). “This is not only a concerning issue affecting the Latino community but one that directly impacts the overall American economy.  We will continue organizing to achieve equity in the workplace for all of our sisters.”

To participate, volunteer or nominate trailblazing Latinas for the fellowship program, please visit www.latinaequalpay.org or email latinaequalpay@lclaa.us. 

About Latina Equal Pay Day – November 2 is Latina Equal Pay Day 2017, which marks the day in the calendar year that Hispanic women have earned as much as white men did in the previous year. According to a new analysis from the Institute of Women’s Policy Research, Hispanic and Latina women will have to wait 232 more years for their earnings to catch up to white men if current trends continue. This day presents an opportunity to raise awareness of the gap and mobilize leaders across public and private sectors to drive increased accountability and take actions towards filling this gendered pay gap. For more information visit LatinaEqualPay.org.

About LCLAA – The Labor Council for Latin American Advancement, also known as LCLAA, was founded in 1972 by local Latino trade union committees to promote participation by Hispanic trade unionists in a more responsive labor movement. LCLAA builds political empowerment of the Latino family, supports economic and social justice for all workers, and promotes greater cultural diversity at the workplace. LCLAA provides a voice for Latino working families nationally. They also work in coalition with other leading Hispanic organizations to maximize support for economic and social policies that are essential to advancing the interests of Hispanics. For more information visit http://www.lclaa.org/.

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SOURCE Latina Equal Pay