Background | Legislation | Updates | Talking Points | Resources | Action
Background
Forty-six years after President John F. Kennedy signed the Equal Pay Act ensuring “equal pay for equal work,” the Census Bureau reports that, on average, full-time working women earned 78 cents to every dollar earned by men. The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, signed into law on January 23, 2009, ensures that victims of discrimination have fair access to the courts, but additional legislation is needed to close the persistent gap between men’s and women’s wages.
Legislation
- The Paycheck Fairness Act (HR 12/S 182) will strengthen the Equal Pay Act in ways necessary to guarantee that women workers are not shortchanged solely because of their gender.
Updates
Another Year, Another Chance to Do Right by Women
January 26, 2010
Friday, January 29th is the one-year anniversary of the signing of the historic Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. Enactment of this legislation was one of BPW Foundation’s top legislative priorities. In 2009, the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act passed the House with the Paycheck Fairness Act and together these bills are a one-two punch in the fight for equal pay. But a year later, the Paycheck Fairness Act remains stalled in the Senate. There is some good news. The Senate leadership has promised that there will be a Senate committee hearing on the Paycheck Fairness Act in the next few months! A hearing gets us one step closer to a vote. Urge your Senators to cosponsor and move to quickly pass the Paycheck Fairness Act (S. 182). It is time for Congress to lead the way in creating successful workplaces!
Women Are Dominant Income-Provider in One of Five Marriages
January 19, 2010
According to a new Pew Research Center study, the institution of marriage has undergone significant changes in recent decades as women have outpaced men in education and earnings growth. A larger share of men in 2007, compared with their 1970 counterparts, are married to women with more education and income than their own. In the past, when relatively few wives worked, marriage enhanced the economic status of women more than that of men. In recent decades, however, the economic gains associated with marriage have been greater for men than for women.
New Unemployment Rules Benefit Women
December 6, 2009
Women currently collect far less unemployment insurance than men, because the reasons they leave a job are considered “voluntary.” Seven out of 10 women leave jobs because of a loss of child care, relocation of a spouse or other work-family conflicts. In the majority of states, such workers are ineligible for unemployment insurance benefits because they are considered to have "voluntarily left the labor force." The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which President Barack Obama signed in February, provides $7 billion to help states extend jobless benefits to low-income workers, part-time workers and those with work-family conflicts.
BPW Foundation Discuss Women’s Economic Security with White House
November 24, 2009
BPW Foundation was honored to participate in a White House Council on Women and Girls meeting on “Improving Financial Literacy and Economic Security among Women and Girls."
Begich Makes 35
November 13, 2009
Work continues on the Paycheck Fairness Act – Sen. Begich (AK) became the latest Senator to sign-on to the bill. Find out if your Senator has signed onto the Paycheck Fairness Act – the next step in pay equity for women.
Bennet Makes 34
September 11, 2009
Work continues on the Paycheck Fairness Act. This month Sen. Bennet (CO) became the latest Senator to sign-on to the bill.
Ledbetter Act Helps Woman in Pennsylvania
September 10, 2009
The Third Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in favor of Mary Lou Mikula, holding that her Title VII pay discrimination claim had been wrongly dismissed. Originally, the Third Circuit held that her claim was not filed in a timely manner citing the Ledbetter v. Goodyear Supreme Court decision. After the passage of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act the National Women’s Law Center filed a petition for rehearing and the court agreed making it clear that each discriminatory paycheck renews the time period for filing a Title VII claim.
Paycheck Fairness Act has 33 Co-Sponsors
August 6, 2009
Although the House voted on the Paycheck Fairness Act (PFA) way back in January, the Senate has yet to take it up. The PFA coalition has been keeping the pressure on with a Letter-A-Day campaign that is in its third straight week. BPW sent letters on July 27 – one to thank the co-sponsors and one to encourage the stragglers to sign-on. And it is working! Sens. Shaheen (NH) and Franken (MN) became the latest two Senators to sign-on to the bill.
The 46th Anniversary of the Equal Pay Act
June 10, 2009
Wednesday, June 10th is the 46th anniversary of the Equal Pay Act ensuring "equal pay for equal work." In honor of the anniversary, ask your Senators to co-sponsor the Paycheck Fairness Act (S 182). The Paycheck Fairness Act will update and strengthen the Equal Pay Act, closing loop holes and improving the law's effectiveness. You can easily write your Senator using the BPW Foundation Advocacy Center. Just enter you zip code and click on "Write Your Legislators".
Would a Female Supreme Court Justice Make a Difference?
May 3, 2009
Supreme Court Justice David Souter announced his retirement and without taking a breath speculation about his potential replacement began. BPW asks what does the make-up of the Supreme Court mean for sex discrimination? A great deal it turns out. Researchers have studied the votes of federal court of appeals judges in many areas of the law. For the most part, they found no difference in the voting patterns of male and female judges, except when it comes to sex discrimination cases. There, they found that female judges are approximately 10 percent more likely to rule in favor of the party bringing the discrimination claim. They also found that the presence of a female judge causes male judges to vote differently. When male and female judges serve together to decide a sex discrimination case, the male judges are nearly 15 percent more likely to rule in favor of the party alleging discrimination than when they sit with male judges only. Read more
Flurry of Equal Pay Day Activities
May, 1st 2009
This year Equal Pay Day was April 28th but the celebration lasted all week. On Thursday, April 30th BPW co-sponsored a Congressional Briefing on the Paycheck Fairness Act. BPW Director of Public Policy Rachel Lyons was one of 4 panelists that spoke to a full room of coalition partners and Congressional staff. Rachel read testimonials from BPW members and business owners who support PFA. Rep. Rosa Delauro was presented with the Winn Newman award for her unflagging support for fair pay. The briefing was a great success and we have added two more PFA co-sponsors for a total of 31!! Thank you to everyone for your amazing efforts
Check out what else was said and done during Equal Pay Week:
Support the Paycheck Fairness Act on Equal Pay Day
April 24, 2009
Tell your Senators to celebrate Equal Pay Day by co-sponsoring the Paycheck Fairness Act (S 182). The Paycheck Fairness Act will update and strengthen the Equal Pay Act, closing loop holes and improving the law's effectiveness. You can easily write your Senator using the BPW Foundation Advocacy Center.
Equal Pay Day is an excellent opportunity to organize activities and events to bring attention to the wage gap. Equal Pay Day is held annually in April to signify the point during the year that a woman must work to earn what a man made the previous year. Check out the BPW website for helpful tools to assist you in planning your Equal Pay Day events and activities. Don’t confine yourself to a day, make it an Equal Pay Week! This year BPW is celebrating Equal Pay Day by co-sponsoring a Congressional Briefing on the Paycheck Fairness Act (S. 182) on Thursday, April 30th.
Tell Us Your Story - BPW is looking for testimonials from women business owners who support the Paycheck Fairness Act. Do you own a business with gross receipts greater than $500,000? Do you support the Paycheck Fairness Act - the next step in the fight to close the persistent wage gap between men and women? Then tell us your story! Include your name, the name of your business, a little bit about what your business does, where you are located, contact information and a couple sentences about why you support the Paycheck Fairness Act. For more information contact Rachel Lyons at policy@bpwfoundation.org.
State Based Wage and Economic Data
April 24, 2009
Two of our coalition partners have released state specific fact sheets with data that will be helpful in your fair pay advocacy. AAUW has released a new state-by-state earnings comparison by gender that shows that the wage gap is stubbornly in place despite the overall positive effect a college degree has on women workers. For the entire full-time workforce, the narrowest wage gaps exist in the District of Columbia, Vermont, and California — where female, full-time workers make 85 percent as much as their male counterparts. At the other end of the rankings are Wyoming, West Virginia, and North Dakota, where women earn 62 percent, 65 percent, and 66 percent, respectively, of what men make. The National Women’s Law Center has also developed state based fact sheets.
Urge Your Senators to Co-sponsor the Paycheck Fairness Act
March 6, 2009
The Paycheck Fairness Act (S 182) is moving rapidly through the Senate and it needs your help! The Paycheck Fairness Act will update and strengthen the Equal Pay Act, closing loop holes and improving the law's effectiveness. BPW members have been championing this legislation since it was first introduced in 1997. We are so grateful to Congress and President Obama for quickly passing the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act in January, but the work to eliminate the wage gap is not done. Ledbetter gets us back to the starting line, now we need to pass the Paycheck Fairness Act to move us forward in the battle to close the persistent gap between men’s and women’s wages. Please take a moment to write your Senators and ask them to support the Paycheck Fairness Act.
The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act and the Paycheck Fairness Act are a one-two punch in the fight for pay equity. This week BPW Director of Public Policy Rachel Lyons joined with other pay equity advocates at meetings with key Senate offices urging them to co-sponsor the Paycheck Fairness Act. There are currently 27 co-sponsors, click here to find out if your Senator is one of them. You can easily write your Senator using the BPW Foundation Advocacy Center. Just enter you zip code and then click on "Write Your Legislators" under the Paycheck Fairness Act.
Sign-on Letter in Support of Paycheck Fairness Act
February 27, 2009
A broad coalition of women, civil rights and community organizations are working together to pass the Paycheck Fairness Act (S 182) this year. The Act would close loopholes in the Equal Pay Act, improve federal tools to combat pay discrimination, and provide enhanced incentives for employers to comply with the law. The House passed the Act in January, and it is now moving forward in the Senate. A sign-on letter for national and state organizations in support of the bill is circulating and the deadline for signatures is on-going. To add your state BPW organization (no locals please) send an email to policy@bpwfoundation.org with the full name of your state organization as you wanted it listed on the letter. Click here to view the letter.
BPW/USA Attends Historic Signing of Ledbetter Act
January 29, 2009
BPW/USA CEO Deborah L. Frett joined leaders of women’s, civil rights and human rights organizations at the White House to witness the historic signing of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. “It is significant that the first piece of legislation to be signed by President Obama is one we have fought so hard for - the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act.” said Frett.
“Equal pay for women has long been one of BPW/USA’s top legislative priorities and it is fitting that in our 90th year we can celebrate the signing of the first major equal pay bill since the 1963 Equal Pay Act,” says BPW/USA president The Honorable Diane Polangin. BPW/USA was present at that historic 1963 White House signing as well. More information about the Ledbetter bill and the signing can be found in the press release and you can view the signing ceremony on YouTube.
BPW/USA urges Congress to continue the effort to ensure equal pay for equal work and quickly take up the Paycheck Fairness Act, which gives teeth to the Equal Pay Act and is the next step in closing the wage gap between men and women. Use the BPW/USA Advocacy Center to send a letter to your Senators urging them to vote for the Paycheck Fairness Act.
Senate Passes Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act!
January 23, 2009
The US Senate approved by a vote of 61-36 the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act (S 181)! “The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act will ensure that women subject to wage discrimination will get their day in court and is an important step towards closing the persistent and sizable wage gap that remains between men and women,” said BPW/USA CEO Deborah L. Frett. “Enactment of this legislation was one of BPW/USA’s top legislative priorities.” Click here to read the press release.
Congress has shown its strong support for working women by passing pay equity legislation in first days of the 111th Congress. Thank you to Senators Kennedy (D-MA) and Mikulski (D-MD) for their unflagging leadership in support of this legislation. During the several hours of debate seven amendments were proposed to weaken the legislation and all were soundly defeated. The final bill passed with the support of five Republicans and all sixteen women Senators. The bill now goes back to the House to reconcile the differences between the House and Senate passed versions and then to President Obama who has said he will sign the legislation. Click here to find out how your Senators voted on the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act (S181).
The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act would overturn the damaging Ledbetter v. Goodyear Supreme Court decision and ensure that victims of pay discrimination have a real chance to pursue their claims. Lilly Ledbetter, one of the few female supervisors at the Goodyear plant in Gadsden, Alabama, was earning 20 percent less than the lowest paid man in the same position when she filed a complaint with EEOC. Lower court rulings supported her claim and awarded her damages, but the Supreme Court held that her claim was not filed within 180 days of Goodyear’s initial discriminatory pay decision and therefore was not valid. The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act reverses the effect of the Supreme Court decision and reinstates the previous standard that each discriminatory paycheck is a violation of law. In 2008, the House passed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, but the bill failed in the Senate by a narrow margin. This year the bill passed both chambers with record levels of support.
Senate Votes to Support Equal Pay
January 16, 2009
Congress moved one step closer to passing the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act! The Senate voted to advance the bill by a vote of 72-23 with 18 Republicans voting yes. The Ledbetter Fair Pay Act would overturn the damaging Ledbetter v. Goodyear Supreme Court decision and ensure that victims of pay discrimination have a real chance to pursue their claims. Like the House, the Senate has shown its support for working women by voting on this bill as one if its first legislative actions of 2009. Click here to find out how your Senators voted.
Action on this bill in the first days of the 111th Congress is clear recognition that wage discrimination is still a very real problem in the United States. Thank you to all the BPW/USA members who wrote letters and made calls in support of this bill and the Paycheck Fairness Act.
The fight is not over yet! Cloture is the first step in the process, amendments and the final vote will happen NEXT WEEK. Last year, the cloture vote on the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act failed by a vote of 56-42, just four votes shy of the 60 needed to invoke cloture. Sen. Kennedy (D-MA), sponsor of the bill, vowed to fight on and Majority Leader Reid (D-NV) agreed to bring the bill to a vote again. Thank you to Sens. Kennedy (D-MA), Mikulski (D-MD) and Majority Leader Reid (D-NV) for their leadership in support of working women.
In her floor statement, Sen. Hutchison (R-TX) said she was voting for cloture so that she could introduce her alternative bill as an amendment. The Hutchinson bill, misleadingly named the Title VII Fairness Act (S. 166), would require employees to file their claims within six months of the date when they discover— or should have discovered — that they were receiving discriminatory pay. The Hutchison bill does not correct the basic injustice created by the Ledbetter case and would not have helped Lilly Ledbetter.
The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act restores the commonly used “paycheck accrual rule” which made clear that each paycheck triggers the 180-day charge filing clock. Substituting a “discovery” rule that bases the timing for filing a claim on when an individual discovers or should have discovered discrimination would add new complications to pay discrimination cases and would likely add to the expense and length of litigation. Some feel that a “discovery rule” would protect employers but the existing 2-year limit on back pay that workers may receive if they successfully prove their pay discrimination case already ensures that employers do not have unlimited liability. The Hutchinson bill has attracted 6 co-sponsors, while the Ledbetter bill has 53 co-sponsors.
Ledbetter to Ride on Obama's Train
January 16, 2009
Lilly Ledbetter will be a passenger on President-elect Barack Obama’s pre-inaugural train tour. She will be among about 40 guests invited on Obama and Vice President-elect Joe Biden’s whistlestop tour along the East Coast before arriving in Washington for the January 20 inauguration. Legislation bearing her name will be considered the week after the inauguration and President-elect Obama has committed to signing that legislation.
House Passes Two Pay Equity Bills, Ask the Senate to Follow!
January 9, 2009
As its first major legislative action of 2009 and in a huge show of support for working women, the U.S. House of Representatives passed both the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act (HR 11) and the Paycheck Fairness Act (HR 12) today. “These two pieces of legislation provide a crucial one-two punch in the fight for equal pay for women and their passage today is an important step towards closing the persistent and sizable wage gap that remains between men and women,” said BPW/USA CEO Deborah L. Frett. Click here to view the press release. HR 11 passed by a margin of 247-171 and HR 12 passed by a margin of 256-163. Click the links to find out how your Representative voted on the HR 11 and HR 12.
Passage of these bills in the first days of the 111th Congress is clear recognition that wage discrimination is still a very real problem in the United States. BPW/USA has supported the Paycheck Fairness Act since it was first introduce in 1997 and BPW/USA members have worked tirelessly for passage of both pieces of legislation. Twenty-six BPW state federations signed onto a coalition letter in support of the bills. BPW/USA sends a special thanks to Rep. George Miller (D-CA), Rep. DeLauro (D-CT) and Speaker Pelosi (D-CA) for their unflagging leadership in support of working women.
Now it is time for the U.S Senate to follow the House’s lead and quickly pass these crucial bills. Thank you to BPW/USA members who sent letters through the BPW/USA Advocacy Center this week.
The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act and the Paycheck Fairness Act
January 6, 2009
Congress is starting the new year off right! One of the very first actions that will be taken by the 111th Congress is a vote on pay equity. As early as Wednesday, January 7th, the House of Representatives will consider two equal pay bills – the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act and the Paycheck Fairness Act. Together these bills will restore and strengthen the laws that support equal pay for women.
Women deserve equal pay for equal work and a fair shot at challenging pay discrimination. Pay discrimination costs women hundreds of thousands of dollars in lost wages over a lifetime; they retire with less money and experience increased economic insecurity throughout their lives. NOW is the perfect time to let your Representative know that, especially during an economic crisis, fair pay is critical to women's economic security. The House passed both of these bills last year with bipartisan support. Let’s make sure they do it again!
Pay Gap Deprives Women of $434,000 in Lifetime Earnings
December 8, 2008
The Center for American Progress Action Fund has released a new report titled, Lifetime Losses: The Career Wage Gap. The report finds that the career pay gap -- the difference between the median wages of full-time working men and women over a 40 year period -- deprives women of an average of $434,000 over the course of their working lives. The study finds that the pay gap persists across all income and education levels and widens over time. In fact, women with the most education lose the most comparatively in earnings.
Lilly Ledbetter Testifies Before Senate, Again
September 23, 2008
In an effort to keep equal pay on the radar, the Senate Judiciary Committee hosted a hearing titled, Barriers to Justice: Examining Equal Pay for Equal Work. Lilly Ledbetter, along with employment lawyers Lawrence Lorber and Cyrus Mehri, testified. Only a few Senators were in attendance including Judiciary Chair Sen. Leahy (D-VT), Ranking Member Sen. Specter (R-PA), and Sens. Feinstein (D-CA), Durbin (D-MI), and Cardin (D-MD). Sen. Leahy opened the hearing by stressing that this is the Committee that approves Supreme Court judicial nominees and this hearing is part of a series on the impact of the Supreme Court. Click here to read Lilly’s testimony. Lorber’s testimony did not address the Ledbetter bill but rather spoke against the Paycheck Fairness Act. Mr. Marhi highlighted a recent Cornell study which finds that the appellate courts are five times more likely to overturn a decision in favor of an employee versus a decision in favor of an employer.
Progress of Lilly Ledbetter Bill Slows
September 19, 2008
Sen. Hutchison (R-TX) has introduced an “alternative” bill to compete with the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act (HR 2831). Misleadingly named the Title VII Fairness Act (S. 3209), Sen. Hutchison’s bill would require employees to file their claims within six months of the date when they discover— or should have discovered — that they were receiving discriminatory pay. The Hutchison bill does not correct the basic injustice created by the Ledbetter case and would not have helped Lilly Ledbetter.
The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act restores the commonly used “paycheck accrual rule” which made clear that each paycheck triggers the 180-day charge filing clock. Substituting a “discovery” rule that bases the timing for filing a claim on when an individual discovers or should have discovered discrimination would add new complications to pay discrimination cases and would likely add to the expense and length of litigation. Some feel that a “discovery rule” would protect employers but the existing 2-year limit on back pay that workers may receive if they successfully prove their pay discrimination case already ensures that employers do not have unlimited liability. The Hutchinson bill has attracted 9 co-sponsors, while the Ledbetter bill has 45 co-sponsors.
Wage Gap Narrows Only Slightly
August 26, 2008
Census statistics released on Women's Equality Day--August 26, 2008--show that the gap between men's and women's earnings changed by less than one percent from 2006 to 2007, narrowing only slightly from 76.9 to 77.8 percent. Based on the median earnings of full-time, year-round workers, women's earnings were $35,102 and men's earnings were $45,113. In 2007, the earnings for African American women were $31,009, 68.7 percent of men's earnings, a drop of more than 3 percent; Asian American women's earnings were $40,374, 89.5 percent of men's earnings, a drop of 3.5 percent; and Latinas earnings were $26,612, 59 percent of men's, a drop of .6 percent.
Paycheck Fairness Act Awaits Attention in the Senate
August 15, 2008
On July 31st, the House of Representatives approved the Paycheck Fairness Act (HR 1338/S 766) which would update and strengthen the Equal Pay Act of 1963, closing loop holes and improving the law's effectiveness. The Senate version of the bill, sponsored by Sen. Clinton (D-NY), has not come to a vote.
22 Senate Co-sponsors of the Paycheck Fairness Act
Biden, Joseph R., Jr. [DE]
Boxer, Barbara [CA]
Brown, Sherrod [OH]
Cantwell, Maria [WA]
Dodd, Christopher J. [CT]
Durbin, Richard [IL]
Feingold, Russell D. [WI]
Harkin, Tom [IA]
Kennedy, Edward M. [MA]
Kerry, John F. [MA]
Klobuchar, Amy [MN] Lautenberg, Frank R. [NJ]
Leahy, Patrick J. [VT]
Levin, Carl [MI]
Menendez, Robert [NJ]
Mikulski, Barbara A. [MD]
Murray, Patty [WA]
Obama, Barack [IL]
Reed, Jack [RI]
Reid, Harry [NV]
Sanders, Bernard [VT]
Schumer, Charles E. [NY]
Paycheck Fairness Act Passes House Overwhelmingly
August 1, 2008
On July 31, 2008 the House of Representatives approved the Paycheck Fairness Act (HR 1338) by a vote of 247– 178, with 14 Republicans supporting the bill. Sponsored by Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), the bill would update and strengthen the Equal Pay Act of 1963, closing loop holes and improving the law’s effectiveness. This is an enormous victory for BPW/USA and working women! BPW/USA has supported the Paycheck Fairness Act since it was first introduce in 1997. BPW/USA joined with other women’s organizations to send a letter to all members of the House of Representatives asking them to support the bill without weakening amendments. Over twenty BPW state federations also signed onto that letter. BPW/USA members sent over 190 letters in twenty-four hours through the BPW/USA Advocacy Center in support of the bill. Click here to find out how your Representative voted.
Speakers in favor of the bill included Representatives Miller (D-CA), Hoyer (D-MD), Linda Sanchez (D-CA), DeLauro (D-CT), Susan Davis (D-CA), Lee (D-CA), Eshoo (D-CA), Woolsey (D-CA), Andrews (D-NJ), Solis (D-CA), Holmes Norton (D-DC), Kaptur (D-OH), and Maloney (D-NY). Speakers in opposition to the bill were Representatives McKeon (R-CA), Wilson (R-SC), Foxx (R-NC), and Price (R-GA).
The bill was amended to specify that only employees, no job applicants, were covered by the bill and delaying enactment for six months to provide time to educate small businesses. The bill passed despite organized opposition from the National Association of Manufacturers and the Society of Human Resource Management. The White House has threatened to veto the bill.
Lilly Ledbetter Speaks at BPW/USA National Conference!
July 25, 2008
Lilly Ledbetter, the plaintiff in the Ledbetter v. Goodyear Supreme Court case, spoke at the BPW/USA National Conference in Atlanta, GA.
Paycheck Fairness Act to be Marked-up
July 18, 2008
The House of Representatives has the chance to make real progress on pay equity by taking action on the Paycheck Fairness Act. This bill would expand upon the Equal Pay Act of 1963, closing loop holes and improving the law's effectiveness. The Paycheck Fairness Act would allow individuals to seek vindication for fair wages, force employers to explain wage gaps, and develop training for women and girls on compensation negotiations. The bill currently has 228 cosponsors and a committee markup of this bill is planned for Thursday of next week.
BPW/OH Meets with Sen. Voinovich
July 17, 2008
Brenda Simpson, Region 7 President represented BPW at a July 14th coalition meeting with Senator Voinovich’s (R-OH) staff in his Cleveland office. The coalition of civil rights and women's right activists were there to encourage the Senator to support the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. Brenda said it was an awesome experience and was pleased to have represented BPW. Ms. Simpson was joined by members of the National Council of Jewish Women and the ACLU. Ms. Simpson is drafting a letter to the editor to follow-up on the meeting and keep the pressure on Senator Voinovich.
Women Senators Rally for Fair Pay
July 17, 2008
On July 17th, the Senate and House Democratic women, Lilly Ledbetter, BPW/USA and other pay equity activists rallied on Capitol Hill in support of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act (HR 3831). Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-MD), Dean of the Senate Women's Caucus said, "Change in the federal law books means change in women’s checkbooks. We need to pass the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act and the Paycheck Fairness Act. It's time for a new American revolution - we need to put on our lipstick, square our shoulders and fight together!" Also in attendance was House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), Paycheck Fairness Act sponsor Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY), Rep. Lois Capps (D-CA), Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA), Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-MO), Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) and many more!
BPW/MA Co-Sponsors Equal Pay Conference
June 9, 2008
On June 9th, BPW/Massachusetts co-sponsored an all day conference on women, wages and work. Hosted by the Center for Women in Politics & Public Policy at UMass Boston's McCormack Graduate School of Policy Studies the conference speakers included Lilly Ledbetter, Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), Rep. Rosas DeLauro (D-CT), former MA Lt. Governor Evelyn Murphy, Teresa Heinz Kerry and leaders from labor and business. Panel discussion covered legislative solutions and making the workplace work for you. For more information click here to view the conference program.
USA Today Runs Anti-Equal Pay Editorial
June 4, 2008
On June 4th, USA Today ran an editorial stating that "career choices, business ventures are bigger factors than gender bias" in explaining the gender wage gap. The editors of USA Today said, "For starters, the gap is not as bad as it might sound. It refers to overall earnings by gender, not pay for people doing the same job. The fact is, women's career choices have more to do with the pay difference than does discrimination." The paper also ran an opposing viewpoint piece write by National Committee of Pay Equity chair Michele Leber. Ms. Leber argued that the gender wage gap exists because of historical discrimination, the "sticky floor" and "glass ceiling" effects, occupational segregation, women's failure to negotiate salaries and market manipulation.
Anniversary of Ledbetter Decision
May 30, 2008
May 30th marked the one-year anniversary of the Supreme Court's decision in Ledbetter v. Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, a ruling that drastically limited the ability of workers to sue their employers for pay discrimination. In the year since the decision, BPW members have worked tirelessly to push Congress to pass the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, which would “fix” the decision by allowing workers to file a claim of pay discrimination within 180 days after their last discriminatory paycheck. The House passed their version of the bill in July 2007. However, the Senate’s version was blocked from a full vote by a filibuster in April 2008. Another vote this year is still possible. Check out the op-ed from Lilly Ledbetter that ran in three papers on June 2nd.
Senate Fails to Pass Ledbetter Fair Pay Act
April 24, 2008
BPW/USA was greatly disappointed that the Senate was unable to bring the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act (HR 2831) to a vote despite a majority of Senators being in favor of the bill. On April 23rd, the cloture vote on the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act failed by a vote of 56-42, just four votes shy of the 60 need to invoke cloture and proceed to debate and final vote on the bill. Senate Majority Leader Reid (D-NV) supports the Ledbetter bill, but changed his vote at the last moment as a matter of procedure so that he is allowed to bring the measure up again later. Senator Edward Kennedy (D-MA), sponsor of the bill, vowed to fight on and Majority Leader Reid (D-NV) agreed to bring the bill to a vote again. The broad coalition of women and civil rights organizations that supported the bill said they would definitely count this vote in upcoming Senate elections.
“We are counting on the Senate to do the right thing and bring this bill up again and pass it. None of the Senators voting against the bill will admit that they favor pay discrimination yet by voting against this bill they are saying that during the first six months you are hired you must aggressively find out what your peers are making, because if you don’t – too bad,” said Deborah L. Frett, BPW/USA CEO, in her post-vote statement. Click here to find out how your Senator voted - Roll Call Vote on HR 2831
BPW/USA Speaks at Equal Pay Week Press Conference
April 23, 2008
On April 23rd, BPW/USA CEO Deborah Frett spoke at a Capitol Hill press conference urging the Senate to pass the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act (HR 2831). The press conference was one of many activities taking place across the country to mark Equal Pay Day. Equal Pay Day, sponsored by the National Committee on Pay Equity (NCPE), is an annual event held to raise awareness of the gap between men’s and women’s wages in this country. BPW/USA has been a co-sponsor of Equal Pay Day since its inception 12 years ago.
Senators Edward Kennedy (D-MA) and Tom Harkin (D-IA) and Reps. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), George Miller (D-CA) and Tom Allen (D-ME) spoke along with Marsha Zakowski, President of the Coalition of Labor Union Women; Rosalyn Pelles, Director of the AFL-CIO’s Department of Civil, Human and Women’s Rights; Margot Dorfman, CEO of U.S. Women’s Chamber of Commerce; Michele Leber, Chair of NCPE; Lisa Maatz, Director of Government Relations for AAUW and Lilly Ledbetter, plaintiff in the Ledbetter v. Goodyear case.
At a luncheon at the American Federation of Teachers after the press conference, Ledbetter was awarded the Winn Newman Award, given annually by NCPE to the individual or organization that has done the most to further the cause of pay equity in the previous year. The award is named for the late Winn Newman, an advocate and litigator on behalf of pay equity, who was lead counsel on the AFSCME v. Washington case, resulting in a large pay equity settlement for state employees.
BPW/USA Members Pull Out All the Stops to Pass Ledbetter
April 24, 2008
BPW/USA members sent over 469 letters and emails to the Senate on the Ledbetter Fair Pay Act using the BPW/USA Advocacy Center. Over 200 of those letters were sent in the last two weeks alone! Those letters were sent by 165 members to 74 Senators. The most letters were sent from Florida (17), Kentucky (14), Ohio (15) and Texas (15) and Pennsylvania (15).BPW members also called their Senators using the toll free number, signed onto editorial board memos, attended in-district meetings, wrote letters to the editor and op-eds and participated in press conferences with local media in VA, MN and OH.
New York Senate Passes Pay Equity Bill
April 17, 2008
On April 14th, the New York State Senate passed pay equity legislation. The legislation would require the NY Commissioner of Labor to commission a study and report for the State Legislature on the causes of wage differentials between men and women and minorities and non-minorities by May 1, 2009. Additionally, the legislation will increase civil and criminal penalties for employers who practice wage discrimination.
Resources
Pay Equity Public Policy Webinar
US Department of Labor-US Wage and Hour Division
ESA's Wage and Hour Division (WHD) is responsible for enforcing some of our nation’s most comprehensive federal labor laws on topics, including the minimum wage, overtime pay, recordkeeping, youth employment and special employment, family and medical leave, migrant workers, lie detector tests, worker protections in certain temporary worker programs, and the prevailing wages for government service and construction contracts.
National Committee of Pay Equity (NCPE)
NCPE is a great online source with pay equity research reports, fact sheets, polls, salary surveys, current legislation information, and links.
Behind the Pay Gap
Research released in April 2007 by AAUW shows that just one year out of college, women working full time already earn less than their male colleagues, even when they work in the same field. Ten years after graduation, the pay gap widens.
Employer Self-Audit
This 10-step guide helps employers analyze their company's pay practices.
How Does Your State Rate on Pay Equity?
National Committee for Pay Equity Fact Sheets
Tips for Wage and Salary Negotiations
Sample State Pay Equity Legislation
Working Women and the Glass Ceiling
