Congresswoman Lee Supports Paycheck Fairness Act
For Immediate Release
January 11, 2009
Contact: Nicole Y. Williams
(202) 225-2661
Washington, DC – Last week, Congresswoman Barbara Lee supported two comprehensive pieces of legislation that will help close the gap between men and women and the pay they receive for performing the same job. The Fair Pay Act (H.R. 11), and the Paycheck Fairness Act (H.R. 12), both passed by the House, will strengthen the Equal Pay Act and close loopholes that have allowed many employers to avoid responsibility for discriminatory pay.
Although the wage gap between men and women has narrowed since the passage of the Equal Pay Act in 1963, gender-based wage discrimination remains a significant problem for women in the U.S. workforce.
“The wage gap is most severe for women of color,” stated Congresswoman Lee. “It is absolutely inexcusable that women and especially minority women earn a fraction of what men earn for the same job. African American women earn just 63 cents on the dollar and Hispanic women earn far worse at 52 cents. In my own state of California, black women working full-time, year round earned only 61 percent, and Hispanic women only 42 percent, of the wages of White men. That is outrageous.”
The Institute of Women’s Policy Research concluded that this wage disparity will cost a woman anywhere from $400,000 to $2 million in lost wages over her lifetime.
Specifically, the Paycheck Fairness Act would:
Require that employers seeking to justify unequal pay bear the burden of proving that their actions are job-related and consistent with a business necessity;
Prohibit employers from retaliating against employees who share salary information with their co-workers;
Put gender-based discrimination sanctions on equal footing with other forms of wage discrimination – such as discrimination based on race, disability or age – by allowing women to sue for compensatory and punitive damages;
Require the Department of Labor to enhance outreach and training efforts to work with employers in order to eliminate pay disparities;
Require the Department of Labor to continue to collect and disseminate wage information based on gender; and
Create a new grant program to help strengthen the negotiation skills of girls and women.
“The Paycheck Fairness Act builds on Congress’ commitment to ensuring that all Americans are paid equally and fairly for the work that they do,” said Congresswoman Lee.
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