WASHINGTON, June 10, 2008 -- Today, on the 45th anniversary of the signing of the Equal Pay Act, AAUW is urging lawmakers to make real progress on closing the wage gap between men and women. AAUW strongly supports passage of the Paycheck Fairness Act (H.R. 1338), strengthening the Equal Pay Act signed into law by President Kennedy on June 10, 1963.
"The Paycheck Fairness Act has 228 co-sponsors, and AAUW is urging the House to take action on this bill – a bill that a majority of the chamber already supports," said Lisa Maatz, AAUW director of public policy and government relations.
Sponsored by Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), the Paycheck Fairness Act would take meaningful steps to empower women to negotiate for equal pay, to create strong incentives for employers to follow the law, and to strengthen federal outreach and enforcement efforts.
"We're 45 years overdue in making pay discrimination history," said Linda D. Hallman, CAE, AAUW Executive Director. "AAUW is working to make progress on the issue of pay equity so that women everywhere will have not only a level playing field but also a level paying field."
With a record 70.2 million women in the work force, wage discrimination hurts the majority of American families. Women earn only 77 cents on the dollar compared to their male counterparts, and the numbers are worse for women of color.
"In this economy, most women see equal pay as a priority this election year," said Maatz. "The House has a chance to take action on a bill that could really move the ball forward on pay equity for women – something I think they'll remember as they go to the polls in November."
AAUW has been fighting to end wage discrimination since 1922, when AAUW's legislative program called for a reclassification of the U.S. Civil Service and for a repeal of salary restrictions in the Women's Bureau. In 1955, AAUW supported a bill requiring "equal pay for work of comparable value requiring comparable skills."
This April, for Equal Pay Day, AAUW released new state-by-state data showing the effect of a college degree on women's earnings. The data suggest that educational achievement alone will not close the pay gap.
To see the latest numbers, visit http://www.aauw.org/research/statedata/upload/table_data.pdf.
"AAUW continues to lobby the Senate for the passage of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, which would correct the U.S. Supreme Court's wrongheaded decision last May," said Hallman. "AAUW applauds the House for passing their own Ledbetter bill last year, but urges them to move forward with the Paycheck Fairness Act – and make real progress on closing the wage gap."
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