Senate to Vote on Fair Pay THIS WEEK
Convince Your Senators to Vote for the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act
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Act TODAY! The Senate is expected to debate and vote
on the House-passed Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act (H.R. 2831) this week.
In honor of Equal Pay Day this Tuesday, April 22, please help encourage
your Senators to not only vote for this bill but to convince their
colleagues to vote in support of this essential effort to restore
women's right to fair pay.
Email or Call your Senators NOW
Today, Tuesday, April 22, is the national
observance of Equal Pay Day, the day when women and
men around the country recognize the wage gap between working women and men, and offer remedies to address pay inequity. According to statistics released in 2007 by the United States Census Bureau, women are paid, on average, 77 cents for every dollar their male counterparts are paid -- a gap of 23 cents.
There were 70.2 million women aged 16 and over in the workforce in 2007, a significant
increase from 18.4 million in 1950. In 2007, women comprised 46 percent of the labor force. With more women in the
workforce, and more families reliant upon women's paychecks for their livelihood, the US must address the wage gap for the sake of American families and their financial stability.
Here are four ways to close the pay gap:
First, we need to keep affirmative action programs in place to make sure education, jobs and promotion opportunities are open and offered to
qualified women.
Second, employers must examine and
correct their pay practices. Employers can get help
in examining their pay practices through equal pay self-audit guidelines from the US Department of Labor.
Third, women must stand up for equal
pay and for themselves. If a prospective employer cannot
show that women and men are paid equally for the job
you're seeking, it makes sense to look elsewhere. Positive
signs includes a hiring process that seeks diversity through affirmative action, written pay and benefit
policies, job descriptions and evaluation procedures. A union for workers is another good sign. Women in unions
earn 35% more than women in non-union workplaces.
Women who are paid less than men must discuss the problem with their employer. If there's
a union ask their help. If discrimination persists, file a complaint with the local or state fair
employment agencies or with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
Pay equity is a growing national movement.
States around the country are introducing pay equity
legislation and women continue to recognize the importance
of this legislation. Pay inequity penalizes families
especially during times of economic hardship so we must
address it when trying to boost the economy.
At the rate we are going, the wage gap will not close until 2057. Women and their families cannot afford to wait
that long!
ACT NOW!
