Dear John,

As we head into Labor Day, I’m reminded that the fight for equality has always been in part a labor fight. And so it is today as well.
 
Under a new rule proposed by the Trump administration, millions of women could lose overtime protections and be paid even less than the federal minimum wage, as Seema Nanda reported for Ms. earlier this month. 
The former rules, implemented under the Obama administration, ensured guaranteed overtime pay and a minimum wage for home care workers—who are more than 80 percent women, and increasingly employed by big corporate firms—and who take care of the elderly and sick, a growing population in the U.S.

“President Trump campaigned on helping ‘forgotten’ American workers,” Nanda continues. “But his attempts to roll back laws protecting them tells a different story.” 
 
And people are noticing. Trump’s approval numbers continue to descend: in the latest Quinnipiac polling, over half of voters disapproved of how Trump is handling his job, and when it comes to the economy specifically, 57 percent disapprove of his actions, compared to 39 percent who approve. And significantly more women rate the current economic situation as poor—69 percent, as compared to 54 percent of men, according to an Associated Press poll of U.S. adults. 

The fight for equality encompasses so many labor fights—whether it’s the fight for fair pay and safe working conditions for minimum wage workers, farm workers, domestic workers and others who can’t afford to take Labor Day off, or women doing unpaid domestic labor in their own homes. From the skyrocketing costs of childcare that are pulling more and more women out of the paid workforce, women’s equality is tied to labor rights in more ways than you can count. 
 
If you’re looking to learn more about what we can do in this moment to address women’s economic inequality, take a listen to the latest episode of Looking Back, Moving Forward, where we unpack how the ERA could act as a “safety net” for women’s rights—when it is finally enshrined in the Constitution. Host Carmen Rios talks with legal experts, lawmakers and advocates about the fight to get this crucial amendment—that has already been ratified— recognized by Congress, and how doing so could shift the landscape when it comes to the fight for economic equality and so much more. You’ll learn why corporate interests, not just culture warriors, have long been at the heart of opposition to the ERA. I’d also encourage you to read Elinor Langer’s classic Ms. investigation from 1976 “Why Big Business Is Trying to Defeat the ERA”—it feels startlingly current. 
 
Enjoy your Labor Day weekend—we’ll be back Tuesday with more ways to fight back and stay informed. 

For equality, 

Kathy Spillar

Executive Editor

P.S. — Looking to make your voice heard? People across the U.S. are joining together this Labor Day to protest the Trump administration's discriminatory policies. Join a “Workers Over Billionaires” rally near you—click here to find an event.

Listen to the latest podcast from Ms. Studios! The latest episode of Looking Back, Moving Forward is out now on Apple Podcasts + Spotify.

The fifth and final episode of Looking Back, Moving Forward illustrates the power of the ERA’s promise, and how the fight for constitutional equality is connected to the issues we’ve explored in our previous installments—women’s political power, reproductive freedom, economic justice and the struggle to end gender-based violence. Experts and advocates share what they’ve learned in 50-plus years of ERA activism, and how they’re fighting forward for full equality at the state and national level.

We hope you'll listen, subscribe, rate and review today!

U.S. democracy is at a dangerous inflection point—from the demise of abortion rights, to a lack of pay equity and parental leave, to skyrocketing maternal mortality, and attacks on trans health. Left unchecked, these crises will lead to wider gaps in political participation and representation. For over 50 years, Ms. has been forging feminist journalism—reporting, rebelling and truth-telling from the front-lines, championing the Equal Rights Amendment, and centering the stories of those most impacted. With all that’s at stake for equality, we are redoubling our commitment for the next 50 years. In turn, we need your help, Support Ms. today with a donation—any amount that is meaningful to you. We are grateful for your loyalty and ferocity.

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