The Paycheck Fairness Act

Forty-five years ago, President Kennedy signed the Equal Pay Act (EPA) into law, making it illegal for employers to pay unequal wages to men and women who perform substantially equal work.  At the time of the EPA’s passage in 1963, women earned merely 59 cents to every dollar earned by men.  Although enforcement of the EPA as well as other civil rights laws has helped to narrow the wage gap, significant disparities remain and need to be addressed.  Today, women make, on average, only 78 cents for every dollar earned by men.

The Paycheck Fairness Act, introduced January 2009 in both the House (H.R. 12) and the Senate (S. 182) by then-Senator Hillary Clinton and Rep. Rosa Delauro, updates and strengthens the Equal Pay Act of 1963. It’s a comprehensive bill that would create stronger incentives for employers to follow the law, empower women to negotiate for equal pay, and strengthen federal outreach, education and enforcement efforts. The bill would also deter wage discrimination by strengthening penalties for equal pay violations and by prohibiting retaliation against workers who ask about employers’ wage practices or disclose their own wages.  The Paycheck Fairness Act was passed by the House of Representatives on January 9, 2009, ADD and action by the Senate is pending, under the lead sponsorship of Sen. Christopher Dobb.

What Can We Do?

Whether you are an employer, advocate, legislator or an individual working person, you can help to close the wage gap by getting involved. Educate your family, friends, and co-workers about The Paycheck Fairness Act (H.R.12  S.182). Form information networks via blogs, twitters etc., monitor activity pertaining to this bill and continue to follow through until passed.

Listed below are some of the organizations that have taken a stance on this bill:

While the above list only names a few organizations either for or against the Paycheck Fairness Act.  We should all support equal pay for equal work.  Many of our jobs have been off-shored; many of us as well as family and friends are unemployed.  Why should those of us who are employed not be paid equally?  Our daily living, our future and children’s future and most important, our retirement depend on its passage.

When the Paycheck Fairness Act goes before the Senate, be ready to do your part by contacting your Congressional representatives and tell them how important fair pay is to you. Ask them to co-sponsor current bills in Congress that would help achieve fair pay.  Implore their support to expeditiously get this bill passed and signed by the President.

You can find a list of House Members and Senators by state and contact information at www.house.gov and www.senate.gov.