Despite the Equal Pay Act of 1963, which guarantees women the right to equal pay, the problem was still common and sexism still casual in 1977 when trouble boiled over in Willmar. According to a story written by Asa Wilson in a 2006 edition of the Workday Minnesota newspaper, eight women — Doris Boshart, Sylvia Erickson, Jane Harguth, Teren Novotny, Shirley Solyntjes, Glennis Ter Wisscha, Sandi Treml and Irene Wallin – grew tired of making nearly $300 per week less than their male counterparts and were told by the bank’s president:
“We’re not all equal, you know.”
For nearly two years the Willmar 8 picketed in front of downtown Willmar, Minnesota’s Citizens National Bank. They never got their pay increases; the NCLB said it was an “economic” strike, so they never got strike-related compensation; and after the strike, seven of them never really got their jobs back.
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This was near to my home town. I had never heard of it before this article.
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