47 years ago, President John F. Kennedy signed the Equal Pay Act into law. At the time, women were only making 59 cents compared to every dollar earned by men, so on June 10, 1963, when the historic legislation prohibiting wage discrimination on the basis of gender was signed, women’s rights activists rightfully celebrated.

While “pay equity” may have been checked off the to-do list momentarily, the problem did not quickly improve, and it still persists today. Today, white women make an average of 77 cents on the man’s dollar, while the wage gap is even larger for women of color, particularly African American and Latina women. Men of color also experience pay inequities. Achieving pay equity has been a part of NWPC’s mission since our founding in 1971. Equal pay for equal work is fundamental to women’s full participation and equality in society and politics.

Now, in the current economic climate and with women making up half of the US work force, the need for pay equity may be greater than ever. US Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis acknowledged these circumstances on June 10. She commended the Obama administration for taking several crucial steps in the right direction, including the signing of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, but insisted that, “…much more needs to be done.”

Meanwhile, President Obama reconfirmed his commitment to pay equity by acknowledging the House’s passage of the Paycheck Fairness Act and calling on the Senate to “…modernize and strengthen the Equal Pay Act by closing loopholes, providing incentives for compliance, and barring certain types of retaliation against workers by employers.”

Numerous women’s rights and civil rights organizations and activists, in addition to progressive members of Congress renewed their push for the swift passage of the Paycheck Fairness Act in the Senate to help improve legal protections against wage discrimination for women – something NWPC has been a tireless advocate for. We encourage you to contact your Senators and ask that they support equal pay for equal work.

NWPC CA also calls on you to vote for political leaders who advocate for stronger pay equity laws, encourage the companies you work for to conduct regular studies to ascertain and correct pay discrepancies, and to make sure that those who follow behind you in your career are always treated fairly.

Comments are closed.