Do Women Earn Less Because They Ask for Less?
November 18th, 2015 – by Terisa Thurman
Jennifer Lawrence fueled the fire over the conversation of the gender pay gap in Hollywood after she published an essay
titled, “Why
Do I Make Less Than My Male Co-Stars?” The actress learned how her wages compared to her male colleagues as a result of the Sony email hack which put private emails
online for the public to see. The essay in which Lawrence confesses, “I
failed as a negotiator because I gave up early,” seemed to lend itself as the catalyst for New York Women in Film and Television (NYWIFT)
to call a special meeting for their members and the lawyers of Outten
& Golden, a law firm that is dedicated to representing employees and
executives.
It may have been Friday the 13th
but despite any superstitious beliefs NYWIFT members arrived early,
approximately 8:30 AM to the law offices in midtown Manhattan in hopes
of learning how to polish their skills negotiating the terms, conditions
and salary of a job offer.
After
a continental breakfast and a warm welcome by managing founder Wayne
Outten, NYWIFT members listened to a presentation titled
“Negotiating Your Next Move: Employment and Consulting Agreements” led
by Outten & Golden partner, Katherine Blostein. The firm is
particularly qualified to lead the conversation as Outten & Golden’s
clients include unpaid interns who went head to head with
entertainment entities such as Fox Searchlight, NBCUniversal and Charlie
Rose. They also represented female executives who sued for gender
discrimination against corporate titans like Goldman Sachs, Bank of
America and Microsoft.
Blostein walked the group through a few eye-opening statistics including one that stated women on average ask for 30% less than their male counterparts when negotiating salary. She moved on to explore tactics to give women the edge at the negotiation table ranging from tips on how to gain more confidence from using the right terminology to being more assertive by defining the parameters within an employment contract.
The conversation was further expanded into financial aspects as Blostein introduced CPA and MBA Nancy Cooper. Cooper offered detailed advice on types of insurance and filing taxes. She also answered individual questions and provided resources to gain personalized information.
This member’s only event is one of many benefits offered to NYWIFT members.
Terisa Thurman is studying sustainability at Columbia University. Follow her on Twitter.
To find out more about member benefits and how to join visit www.nywift.org. Now through December 1st, take advantage of our Fall Membership Drive discount and save 50% off the initiation fee when you apply online!
nywift
Related Posts
Meet the New NYWIFT Member: Guneet K. Singh
Welcome to NYWIFT, Guneet K. Singh! Former NYWIFT intern Guneet K. Singh is a producer and writer with a passion for diverse storytelling. She was most recently the producer for the poignant play, Irreparable, which premiered at the Act One One-Act Theater Festival. She has worked in television development for NBC and Peacock, working on programs such as That’s My Jam, Password, Joyelle Nicole Johnson: Love Joy and 5 More Sleeps ‘Til Christmas. Her first producing role was as the Digital Producer for the Emmy nominated The Kids Tonight Show. She began her career as an NBC Page, working on shows like Saturday Night Live and The TODAY Show. In our interview, Guneet discusses her exciting time in NBC’s legendary Page Program, the power of networking, and finding her calling as a writer and producer.
READ MOREMeet the New NYWIFT Member: Monique Gabriela Curnen
Welcome to NYWIFT, Monique Gabriela Curnen! Monique Gabriela Curnen is an actor and producer known for a string of critical and commercial successes, including Half Nelson, The Dark Knight, Contagion and Birth/Rebirth. While working with Warrington Hudlin at the Black Filmmaker Foundation, she started producing short films. She continued producing independently, including the Joe Holt short Noël, which sold to ShortsHD. She served as executive producer on the award-winning feature documentary, A Run For More (PBS, Amazon) directed by Ray Whitehouse. She’s currently in development on the narrative feature Sheila & the Punk Rock, written and directed by K. Lorrel Manning. Monique discusses the roots of her career, her experience working on large-scale productions, and how she overcomes challenges within these realms. Get to know her in our latest interview!
READ MOREMeet the New NYWIFT Member: Angelica Marciano
Let’s give a warm NYWIFT welcome to our new member, Angelica Marciano. Angela is a location manager and producer who has worked in several different states on narrative feature films and TV. She just recently moved to New York after living in New Mexico, and Boston. She is the person behind the scenes of queerfilmbk and prides herself on being a person who excels at bringing community together. She has a cat named Lewis who acts like a dog. She’s an enthusiastic extrovert who can talk to any stranger and is a self-proclaimed freak in that she hopes that the person sitting next to her on an airplane wants to chat. In our interview, Angelica discusses her winding career path, advice to women filmmakers, and what excites her about the locations department!
READ MOREMeet the New NYWIFT Member: Herrana Addisu
Welcome to NYWIFT, Herrana Addisu! Herrana Addisu is a multi-disciplinary artist and social impact strategist. Her family's journey to the United States and her personal experience growing up in Ethiopia and immigrating to the U.S. have shaped her career in human rights. She works to uplift marginalized communities through advocacy initiatives, research, and programming. She incorporates her expertise in various human rights issues into her artistry through Chucha Studios LLC, a creative production agency that aims to reduce social disparities within marginalized communities by connecting the art of visual storytelling with systemic change. NYWIFT was proud to present Herrana with the NYWIFT Award for Excellence in Short Film Directing at the 2024 UrbanWorld Film Festival for her short film The River this past Fall. She spoke to us about her short film, upcoming projects, and what types of creative work resonate with her most.
READ MORE
