单选题：根据短文，回答题Empoweringworkersconstitutesthefirststeptowardastron

根据短文，回答题Empoweringworkersconstitutesthefirststeptowardastrongereconomyandstrongercitizenry．ItisavitalsteptowardovercominginequalityinAmericansociety．Duringthel980s，theneedforbetterwagesfora11workersincreasedaswomen，traditionallysecondaryearners，assumedgreaterresponsibilityfortheirownandtheirchildren’swell-being．Yettheabilitytoraisefamiliestoadecentlivingstandardthroughwageworkdecreased；realwagesfellformostworkers．AndtheFederalGovernmentenactednonewpoliciestofacilitatetheintegrationofworkandfamily，asworkingwomenandworkingfamiliessufferedalossinpoliticalpoweraswell
BlackorHispanicwomenarefourtimesaslikelytobelow-wageworkersasarewhitemenwithcompa-rableskillsandexperien.Whitewomenaremorethanthreetimesflslikelyaswhitementobelow-wageworkers，andblackorHispanicmenmorethanone-and-a-halftimesaslikely．Morethanhalfofalllow-wageworkersaretheonlywageworkersintheirfamilies，orlivealone．
EmpIoymentnolongerprovidesanescapefrompoverty．Morethaneightmillionworkingadultsarepoor；twomillionofthemworkfull-time,year-round．Morethansevenmillionpoorchildrenhaveatleastoneworkingparent.Whenthatoneworkingparentisfllow-wageworker．thechildrenhavenobetterchanceofescapingfrompovertythaniftheparentswerenotworkingatall；morethantwo-fifthsofsuchchildrenarepoor．
Evenifgenerousincomeassistancewereavailable，thewagesemployerspaywouldbeheldtoaminimum．Inaddition，policiessuchastaxcreditsforworkingparentsdonothingtoincreasethepoliticalpowerofworkingwomenandmen．
Ourresearchshowsthat—unioni—zationisamongthemosteffectivestrategiesforraisingpay，especiallyforwomenandminoritymelt,Beingaunionmember，orbeingcoveredbyacollective-bargainingagreement，raisedl984wagesby$1．79perhourforHispanicmen，$1．32forblackmen，$1．26forHispanicwomen，$1．O1/forblackwomen，$0．68forwhitewomen，and$0．41forwhitemen，whenallotherfactors，suchasoccupation，industry，firmsize，educationandexperiencewereheldconstant．Inpercentageterms，theunionincreasewasmorethanl5percentforblacksandHispanics，11percentforwhitewomen，and4percentforwhitemen．Duringthel980s，womenstartedtoplayamoreimportantrolein__________． A．demandingpoliticalrights
B．improvingsocialwelfare
C．supportingthefamily
D．earningbetterwages