Congresswoman Barbara Lee Calls for Pay Equity for Women

Demands immediate action on equity legislation

Washington, D.C. - Today, Congresswoman Lee joined Lilly Ledbetter and several members of Congress in callling for immediate action on "The Paycheck Fairness Act" and "The Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Restoration Act".

For ever dollar mean earned in 2007, women earned 77 cents.  The wage gap is most severe for women of color. Of full-time workers, African American women's median weekly earnings ($429) were only 64% of the earnings of white men ($669) in the year 2000.  In one year, the average African American woman earns approximately $12,000 less than the average white man does. Over a 35-year career, this adds up to $420,000. 

“We have made strides in closing the wage gap between women and men, but as these numbers indicate, we still have a very long way to go,” said Lee.  “It is absolutely unconscionable and inexcusable that women and especially minority women earn a fraction of what men earn for the same job. We must put an end to this unfair treatment and workplace discrimination and we must redouble our efforts to do it.”

The Supreme Court delivered a blow to the fight against workplace discrimination for women, and all American workers, when it ruled on Ledbetter v. Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. one year ago that workers are barred from filing pay discrimination claims more than 180 days after an employer first decides to discriminate, even when the discrimination continues.

“Lilly Ledbetter stands for women all over this country and symbolizes our fight for justice in pay and our efforts to end the discrimination which is still far too prevalent in this country. Let’s stand up for all the Lilly Ledbetter’s out there and all the women who deserve equity and fairness in the workplace by making the Paycheck Fairness Act and the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Restoration Act the law of the land,” said Lee.

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