Equal pay a concern in the Borderland

Pay inequality between men and women is stirring up national debate, so what about here in the Borderland?

Yesterday was Equal Pay Day, or the day that equality advocates say marks how far into the new year the average American woman would have to work to earn what the average American man did in the previous year.

President Barack Obama has been focusing on the issue, which is expected to be a hot-button topic in upcoming elections.

“Today the average full-time working woman earns just 77 cents for every dollar a man earns,” Obama said.

The president signed an executive order yesterday, allowing government employees more freedom to discuss their salaries openly.

“Well, what that aspect of the president’s proposal would add greater transparency to the labor market, and that in and of itself is probably a good thing,” said University of Texas El Paso economics professor Tom Fullerton.

Fullerton says that could help make labor more efficient, but he has problems with some of the reasoning behind the president’s measures.

“In fact, the president’s underlying premise for this proposal is actually quite flawed,” Fullerton said. “It’s true that there is a 23 percent pay gap between the genders, but a lot of that is driven by two things: career choices and lifestyle choices.”

The El Paso Hispanic Chamber of Commerce says they support closing the gap, but …

“I don’t think any small business objects to closing the pay gap,” said Shoshana Aranda, business development specalist with EPHCC. “I’m sure that other business owners prefer at a more voluntary manner.”

Some El Pasoans said that there definitely were issues with pay structure in the Borderland.

“It’s been like this for a long time, and I think it’ll probably stay this way, unless women actually speak up for themselves.”