Seton Hill students march in Greensburg on 'Equal Pay Day'

One day after a federal appeals court issued a ruling that may be yet another move toward closing the pay gap between men and women, a group of Seton Hill University students and professors marched through Greensburg chanting and waving signs seeking to do just that.

“Ho ho, hey hey, equal work for equal pay,” they chanted as senior Hannah Hartman, armed with a portable microphone, led the rag-tag group of 40, bundled up against the April cold, across Courthouse Square.

Tuesday's rally, an annual event sponsored by Seton Hill's Feminist Collective, seeks to draw attention to pay disparities between men and women. April 10 is the date activists have declared Equal Pay Day.

Between chants and horns honking encouragement to the protestors, Hartman said a ruling Monday by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals which held that an employer may not consider prior salary in setting a new employee's pay illustrates how far society has come in recent years.

The issue bounced to the courts after a female math consultant in the Fresno County, Calif., Office of Education learned that a new male employee who had less experience and education had been hired at a salary $13,000 a year more than what she earned. She sued after being told her pay was based on her prior salary.

The courts ruled for her, citing the federal Equal Pay Act of 1963.

“This is super important. It shows we're making a difference,” Hartman said.

As students waved signs with a variety of hand-lettered logos, including “Will Work for Equality” and “Equal pay for equal people,” Hartman revved up the chanting again.

“Show me what Democracy looks like,” she said, broadcasting a loud dare from her microphone.

“This is what democracy looks like,” the protestors shouted in return.

Art education major Jacob Meager said the numbers moved him to join the protest.

“When women are making 77 cents to $1 for the exact same work as a man, it's not a fair way to go about things,” he said.

Madison Wilson, a Seton Hill student and secretary of the Feminist Collective, said she worries not only about the pay gap between men and women but also the pay gap between white women and minorities.

“There's an even bigger pay gap for minorities, and that doesn't get talked about that much,” she said.

The most recent numbers cited Monday in a study by the National Partnership for Women & Families found nationwide that women typically are paid 79 cents for every dollar paid to men, while the disparity widens to 63 cents on the dollar for black women and 54 cents for Latinas.

Seton Hill President Mary Finger, who addressed the protestors, applauded their efforts.

She said students across the country have been energized to speak out for voter participation and social justice issues in the wake of the rallies organized by high school students after the Parkland, Fla., killings.

“I personally believe they're making adults look at themselves and say, ‘What do we have to do to remain a vibrant country?' ” Finger said.

Debra Erdley is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach her at 412-320-7996 or derdley@tribweb.com or via Twitter @deberdley_trib