Kaptur Co-Sponsors Paycheck Fairness Act to Ensure Equal Pay for Equal Work
Legislation would strengthen worker protections and help stop gender-based wage discrimination
WASHINGTON–Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (D-OH) announced she has signed on as an original co-sponsor of the Paycheck Fairness Act, which was reintroduced yesterday by the bill’s sponsor Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT). The legislation would help close the wage gap between women and men working the same jobs by closing an existing loophole in the Equal Pay Act of 1963. On average, women make just 78 cents for every dollar made by a man doing the same job.
“Equal work should earn equal pay, and our decades-long failure to reach that common sense standard is an issue that affects millions of working families,” said Rep. Kaptur. “This is especially true for households that depend on a mother, grandmother, sister or daughter for financial support. Unequal pay is not just wrong, it is bad for these families, bad for communities, bad for the economy and bad for business. We need enforceable standards that ensure equal work receives equal pay, which this bill would provide.”
“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,” said Rep. DeLauro. “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 Paycheck Fairness Act builds on 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 prove pay disparity is related to job performance, not gender. In addition, it establishes 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.
The bill also prohibits employer retaliation against sharing salary information with coworkers, protections that were not available under previous statutes. In addition, it strengthens remedies for pay discrimination by allowing women to seek both back pay and punitive damages for pay discrimination.
President Obama’s first bill, signed into law on January 29, 2009, was the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, which overturned the 180-day statute of limitations for women to contest pay discrimination. This legislation has been reintroduced during Women’s History Month, paying homage to generations of women who have led the charge on rights for American workers throughout U.S. history. The Paycheck Fairness Act would close the loopholes that allow pay discrimination to continue in the first place and, with Ledbetter, provide employees the rights they need to challenge and eliminate pay discrimination in the workplace. This bill has been endorsed by President Obama, Lilly Ledbetter and a coalition of more than 300 advocacy groups.
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