On June 10, 1963, at a time when women in our country made 59 cents for every dollar a man made, the United States Congress passed the Equal Pay Act. As we approach the 49th anniversary of that landmark legislation, we see that the pay gap is just as real today as it was then. Women across our country make just 77 cents for every dollar that a man makes with the same education doing the same job. That's twenty-three percent less. But do women get a twenty-three percent discount at the grocery store? No. Do we get twenty-three percent off at the doctor's office? No.
That's why I reintroduced the Paycheck Fairness Act, and why it's vitally important that the United States Senate pass it starting with tomorrow's cloture vote. We want to ensure that we close the loopholes that have kept the Pay Equity Act from achieving its promise of equal pay.
In 2009, we fought to keep the courthouse doors open with the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, changing the statute of limitations and enabling employees to take legal action in cases of discriminatory pay. It was an important down-payment on ending the pay gap. The Paycheck Fairness Act will close loopholes that allow pay discrimination to happen in the first place. With the Paycheck Fairness Act, employers will no longer be able to retaliate against workers for sharing information about wages. No longer will women be able to seek only back pay. Under this bill, they can also seek punitive damages for pay discrimination. No longer will employers be able to use almost any reason and make up any excuse for unjust pay practices. No longer will women be on their own fighting discrimination.
Why does it matter? The wage gap has consequences that last a lifetime. Think of a college graduate who starts working at 22 and works until they are 62. By the time they retire, there will be a $434,000 income gap. This is about supporting women, men and their families. The wage gap makes it harder for working moms to provide for their families, makes it more difficult to own a home and means there will be less in Social Security and retirement savings. This is the true cost of being a woman.
I believe that in this country, if you work hard and play by the rules, you'll get ahead. In the 49 years since Congress passed legislation calling for equal pay for equal work, women have made an 18 cent gain. That's not rewarding hard work and playing by the rules.
Women can't wait another 49 years. American women are mad as hell, and we're not going to take it anymore. It's time to close the loopholes, level the playing field and end the outrageous cost of being a woman. It's time to pass the Paycheck Fairness Act and once and for all have equal pay for equal work.
I agree with "hroark314" that this is a wedge issue by the Democrats to keep people from thinking about the distasterous administration that we have in Washington now...
Law enforcement officers for the state are overwhelmingly female as compared to federal law enforcement officers with regards to the prison system (i.e. prison, 1/2 houses, probation, parole, etc.).
Federal counterparts for the same exact job (often with less risk) is paid at over 50% more. Example as a state officer I made 25,000 a year as a federal officer I make in the mid 60,000's that's a heck a lot of difference.
Now I can't say it is causational at all about gender differences I know correlation is the safest "assumption" as many more federal employees have more experience (i.e. prior military) but it still comes down to men getting paid much more for the same job on average.
You don't even pay homage to the author of the article or the real issue at hand.
Opportunistic at best.
You've never been in a hiring position, have you?
For example a Psychology Master's Grad Student (60 hour grad program more than 15 hours over the average Master's program) is required to get a job that pays 25,000 a year...yes I said that correct it is not a typo! My boyfriend works as a machinist and low-middle experience gets 38,000 a year. An experienced machinist makes in upwards of 50,000.
You welder analogy is b.s. and you know it. Your comments point to a poor understanding of employee law, and are fallacious at best.
Utter Fail.
That is just a blatant, fraudulent lie.
For shame, Senator.
The 76-cent statistic (now actually 80 cents, according to the U.S. Census Bureau) is misleading because it is a raw comparison of all working men and women. Thus a female receptionist working 40-hour weeks is tossed in with the male orthopedic surgeon putting in 70-hour weeks.
A study of the gender wage gap conducted by economist June O' Neill, former director of the Congressional Budget Office, found that women earn 98 percent of what men do when controlled for experience, education, and number of years on the job.
WHY? Because the Chamber of Commerce says so?
Frankly, any bill that increases trial lawyers' ability to file class action lawsuits is bad for everyone - man or woman - who isn't a trial lawyer. The vast majority of these lawsuits do no appreciable good, while all of them raise the cost of doing business, which causes prices to rise, which hurts consumers.
My wife is likely discriminated against. My mother DEFINITELY was discriminated against. Under the law that was just voted down, both would have had legal recourse. Now they don't. There is ONLY ONE WAY I can interpret this. Republicans ARE AGAINST EQUAL PAY FOR WOMEN. Men who have wives, mothers, sisters, daughters, and female friends should not be supporting people of either party who don't, by their ACTIONS, support Equal Pay for Women, IMHO.
Companies are going to be forced to cut jobs to pay for lawyers to prove they don't discriminate whenever some frivolous suit is filed. Taxpayer money will also be used to fund grants to organizations to teach women only how to negotiate better salaries. (Even though men under 30 make less than women as do middle aged men compared with childless women of that age). Of course these organizations will be none other than the feminists organizations. More feminist pork, just like VAWA provides under the guise of domestic violence organizations.