When I was in grad school 15 years ago, I had a button that said, “71¢.” A lot of men didn’t get it at the time, and a lot of women knew exactly what it was about. From what the Business and Professional Women tell us, I could now go get an equally depressing button: “76¢.”

In 101 Facts on the Status of Workingwomen, released last July, BPW concluded, “The gap between median earnings of full-time, year-round workers widened last year, with women’s earnings currently 76% of men’s, down from 77% in 2004.” For virtually my entire life, the gap has apparently narrowed about 1/3 of a penny per year. And women readers, if you’re over 35, the numbers are sadder still. And lest you think this is about type of work or education level, the BPW’s report notes that this gap is equally wide for women in the highest paid jobs (surgeon, attorney, etc.) and for women with the highest education levels.

Yesterday, Escape from Cubicle Nation asked the good question, Why are women still paid less than men? I have one answer that’s a piece of this puzzle: I believe the way women negotiate their salary contributes to the gap. No “blaming the victim” stuff here—just an honest assessment that for this gap to continue for so long, there’s got to be contribution (contribution isn’t the same as blame) from all sides. Ladies, it’s past time to significantly hone your negotiation skills. Let’s get to it.