Women make 77 cents for every dollar men make. As President Obama said today, "this is not just a question of fairness for hard-working women. Paycheck discrimination hurts families who lose out on badly needed income." President Obama's remarks were part of a strong call from the White House today to the Senate to pass the Paycheck Fairness Act. Vice President Biden, theWhite House Middle Class Task Force and the Council on Women and Girls endorsed the Paycheck Fairness Act today in a White House event designed to draw attention to pay equity and workplace flexibility.
The Paycheck Fairness Act, passed by the House of Representatives last month, would address pay discrimination by:
- requiring employers to demonstrate that wage differentials are based on factors other than sex;
- prohibiting retaliation against workers who inquire about their employers’ wage practices or disclose their own wages;
- permitting reasonable comparisons between employees within clearly defined geographical areas to determine fair wages;
- strengthening penalties for equal pay violations;
- directing the Department of Labor to assist employers and collect wage-related data; and
- authorizing additional training for Equal Employment Opportunity Commission staff to better identify and handle wage disputes.
The White House can't do this alone. The Senate must act. Senators Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins could make a huge difference in the lives of women and families by voting for this legislation.
Contact them to urge their support of pay equity now
here .