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: Toby Perl Freilich
Welcome to NYWIFT, Toby Perl Freilich! Toby is an Emmy-nominated documentary filmmaker and writer, focusing on cultural reporting. Her work explores all sorts of perspectives, from senators to artists, spanning across the world. She co-produced and co-directed Moynihan, a film about the late New York senator, policy expert, and public intellectual. She also directed, produced, and wrote Inventing Our Life: The Kibbutz Experiment, about one of the world's longest running and most successful experiments in radical, secular communal living. Right now, she is producing and directing I Make Maintenance Art: The Work of Mierle Laderman Ukeles about the pioneering ecofeminist and the first Artist in Residence at the New York City Department of Sanitation. Read about Toby’s inspiring past and future projects here!
READ MORENYWIFT at DOC NYC: In Conversation with Amy Nicholson
Finding your tribe is one of life’s greatest pleasures—and losing it is one of the greatest sorrows. In NYWIFT Member Amy Nicholson’s beautifully observed film Happy Campers, working-class Americans gather every summer at a seaside trailer park in Chincoteague, Virginia, to enjoy the simple pleasures of a scrappy, no-frills vacationland, and each other’s company. When a developer buys the land and reimagines the property, the inhabitants of this shabby Shangri-La wistfully eke out the joys of one last summer together as a melancholic twilight hangs in the air. Happy Campers just made its world premiere at DOC NYC, where it received a Special Mention for the Grand Jury Prize. Amy spoke to us about her unique process making this film, biggest challenges and triumphs, and the commodification of some of life’s simplest pleasures.
READ MOREMeet the New NYWIFT Member: Melisa Ramos
Welcome to NYWIFT, Melisa Ramos! Melisa is a filmmaker and professor from Puerto Rico, bringing 14 years of post-production and motion graphics experience to New York. Her first production, Puerto Rican Voices, a docu-series about the aftermath of Hurricane Maria. Following Puerto Rican Voices, Melisa continued to share Puerto Rican and Latin American stories. In 2020, she directed and produced From Performers to Spectators, a doc-series showcasing New York City performers during lockdown. She is currently in production on Hoop Warrior, her first feature film. Read all about Melisa’s journey as an editor and artist here!
READ MOREMeet the New NYWIFT Member: Aisha Amin
Welcome to NYWIFT, Aisha Amin! Aisha is an NYC-based writer and director. As a director, her work expands across narrative, documentary, and experimental forms to tell authentic stories built from real experiences. Her past film projects have explored and highlighted overlooked communities particularly in New York City, including formerly incarcerated mothers and communities struggling with the presence of gentrification in their neighborhoods. Amongst her directing, Aisha is an emerging screenwriting and was selected to participate in Cine Qua Non’s 2022 Screenwriting Lab. She is a 2022 recipient of NYFA’s Tomorrowland Grant and a 2021 recipient of the NYFA Women's Fund grant. She was a recipient of the 2019-2020 Sally Burns Shenkman Woman Filmmaker Fellowship at the Jacob Burns Film Center where she directed two short documentaries. She is also a recipient of The Shed's Open Call Fellowship where she expanded her film practice to installation art. Aisha spoke to us about her favorite styles of storytelling, the intersection of narrative and documentary, and her latest projects.
READ MORE
