‘Ask for More’ workshops help Queens women prepare for salary talks
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By Rachel Vick
A series of autumn workshops is taking aim at the gender wage gap by helping women prepare for salary negotiations.
The “Ask for More” salary negotiation sessions are designed to educate and empower 10,000 women to attain higher salaries while leveraging promotions and benefits. On average, women earn 80 cents to every dollar their male counterparts make. The wage gap is even larger for women of color.
The program begins in September with workshops in all five boroughs. The first sessions in Queens begin in October, at the Queens Library Central in Jamaica.
Workshops at the Central library will be at 6 p.m. on the second Thursdays in October, November and December. There will be an additional workshop on Monday, Nov. 4 from 4-6 p.m. at Laguardia Community College.
“These free salary negotiation workshops are terrific opportunities for our customers and the public to develop skills and strategies they are going to need for as long as they remain in the workplace,” said Queens Public Library President and CEO Dennis Walcott. “I want to thank [the organizers] for partnering with Queens Public Library to open another avenue of success for people who rely on us to help them transform their lives.”
The program was launched by The American Association of University Women, women.nyc and the New York City Economic Development Corporation. The agencies say they hope to expand the program to include workshops in Spanish as well as field-specific sessions.
The course is free of charge and is also offered online. Participants can sign up at women.nyc.
“When we support women in their efforts to secure equal pay for equal work and advance in their careers, there is direct positive impact on their personal health, safety, and overall well-being. These benefits also flow to their families and communities,” said Jacqueline Ebanks, executive director of the New York City Commission on Gender Equity.
