Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (WA-District 1) joined Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (CT-District 3) today in reintroducing the Paycheck Fairness Act, legislation which would help close the wage gap between women and men working the same jobs. On average, women make just 78 cents for every dollar made by a man.
“Equal pay is not just good for women — it’s good for families, businesses and our economy. When women aren’t paid what they deserve, middle class families and communities pay the price,” DelBene said. “More families than ever before rely on women’s wages to put food on the table, save for retirement and pay for their children’s education. The Paycheck Fairness Act will help ensure equal pay for equal work.”
The Paycheck Fairness Act builds upon the landmark Equal Pay Act signed into law in 1963 by closing loopholes that have kept it from achieving its goal of equal pay. The bill would require employers to show pay disparity is truly related to job performance, not gender.
It also prohibits employer retaliation for sharing salary information with coworkers. Under current law, employers can sue and punish employees for sharing such information. In addition, it strengthens remedies for pay discrimination by allowing women to seek both back pay and punitive damages for pay discrimination.
Finally, the bill empowers women in the workplace through a grant program to strengthen salary negotiation and other workplace skills, and requires the Department of Labor to enhance outreach and training efforts to eliminate pay disparities.
“Equal pay is not just a problem for women, but for families, who are trying to pay their bills, trying to get ahead, trying to achieve the American Dream, and are getting a smaller paycheck than they have earned for their hard work,” DeLauro said. “The Paycheck Fairness Act will help the Equal Pay Act fulfill its intended objective, offer real protections to ensure equal pay for equal work, and see that women are paid the same as the other half of our nation’s workforce for the same job.”
The bill has been endorsed by more than 300 advocacy groups.
