Happy International Women's Day

[IndianaGreen]

Happy International Women's Day

It was the courage of hundreds of women shirtwaist workers that inspired International Women's Day. They walked off the job for better wages and the right to vote in 1909, striking for 13 weeks in a bitter cold New York winter. At the Second International Conference of Socialist Women in 1910, one hundred years ago, German Communist Clara Zetkin proposed that March 8 be set aside each year for solidarity with women workers around the world. Since 1977 International Women's Day has been recognized and celebrated by the United Nations.

Like May Day, International Women's Day is borne of the struggles of the U.S. working class for decent wages and working conditions and equal rights.

The centennial anniversary of International Women's Day takes place in the midst of a devastating global economic crisis.

The U.S. Department of Labor reports growing long-term unemployment for women ages 45 to 64. Official unemployment for female heads-of-households is 12.6 percent. About 1.1 million are single mothers. For some, the only income is food stamps. As poverty rises, these are crisis conditions.

The continuing wage gap plus low wage jobs with not enough hours and lack of adequate health care put women at the bottom economically. Income is even lower for African American, Latino, Asian and Native American women as a result of racism.

The Machinists union has issued a call for women across the country to "join together in telling Congress, America needs JOBS Now!" on Monday, March 8. Women are urged to send a message to their Senators and Representative to support the program of JOBS Now! for a substantial new stimulus package that will aid states and cities, and create jobs for public works on a large scale.

The right to join a union is a strong antidote to poverty. Union women earn 32 percent more than nonunion women, African American union members earn 28 percent more than their nonunion counterparts, for Latino workers, the union advantage equals 43 percent and for Asian American workers, the union advantage is 6 percent.

http://cpusa.org/happy-international-women-s-day/