This is what the fuss coming from the right is all about....
The National Committee on Pay Equity supports two bills in Congress aimed at curbing wage discrimination. The bills work on different aspects of wage discrimination, and both are needed to fully close the wage gap.
The Fair Pay Act (S. 904, H.R. 2151) is sponsored by Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) and Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC). It seeks to end wage discrimination against those who work in female-dominated or minority-dominated jobs by establishing equal pay for equivalent work. For example, within individual companies, employers could not pay jobs that are held predominately by women less than jobs held predominately by men if those jobs are equivalent in value to the employer. The bill also protects workers on the basis of race or national origin. The Fair Pay Act makes exceptions for different wage rates based on seniority, merit, or quantity or quality of work. It also contains a small business exemption.
The Paycheck Fairness Act (H.R.12 and S.182) was introduced January 2009 by then-Senator Hillary Clinton and Rep. Rosa DeLauro to strengthen the Equal Pay Act of 1963. The bill expands damages under the Equal Pay Act and amends its very broad fourth affirmative defense. In addition, the Paycheck Fairness Act calls for a study of data collected by the EEOC and proposes voluntary guidelines to show employers how to evaluate jobs with the goal of eliminating unfair disparities. The bill was passed by the House of Representatives on January 9, 2009, ADD and action by the Senate is pending, under the lead sponsorship of Sen. Christopher Dodd.
President Obama has issued a statement endorsing a gender pay equity law, covered in today's USA TODAY.
Here's the statement:
In America today, women make up half of the workforce, and two-thirds of American families with children rely on a woman's wages as a significant portion of their families' income.
Yet, even in 2010, women make only 77 cents for every dollar that men earn. The gap is even more significant for working women of color, and it affects women across all education levels. As Vice President Biden and the Middle Class Task Force will discuss today, this is not just a question of fairness for hard-working women. Paycheck discrimination hurts families who lose out on badly needed income. And with so many families depending on women's wages, it hurts the American economy as a whole. In difficult economic times like these, we simply cannot afford this discriminatory burden.
My Administration has already begun to address this problem. In my first week in office, I signed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, which helps women who face wage discrimination recover their lost wages, and in my State of the Union Address, I promised to crack down on violations of equal pay laws. Today the Equal Pay Enforcement Task Force will present its recommendations, which include ways to better coordinate among enforcement agencies and inform employees about their rights. These steps support women, and they also support businesses that are doing the right thing and paying their employees what they deserve.I'm really not sure why the right would defend inequality, John Boehner called the equity bill a cruel hoax. He is worried about trial lawyers clogging up the courts with junk lawsuits. He says these laws will make it hard for businesses to grow and hire! That is friggin laughable! Don't you see Mr. Bonehead, if there was equality in the workplace there would not be lawsuits based on gender discrimination. Of course the righties want the companies to do as they please no matter who it hurts, no matter who is discriminated against. OH God-forbid the government steps in to help the helpless stand up to big crooked business practices!
We cannot do this work alone. So today, I thank the House for its work on this issue and encourage the Senate to pass the Paycheck Fairness Act, a common-sense bill that will help ensure that men and women who do equal work receive the equal pay that they and their families deserve. Passing this bill is one of the Task Force's key recommendations, and I hope Congress will act swiftly so that I can sign it into law.
This is the point of view from a conservative blogger...
The Obama administration demonstrates again that they have no clue as to how to conduct business, nor can they grasp common-sense concepts regarding how businesses operate and succeed in order to employ all those minorities, woman and others. This is frankly another political move to extract yet another fistful of power (and more than likely, substantial fees and fines) from small businesses.
Things are not always as they appear to be on paper, so the opportunity for misunderstanding and error looms. Not all jobs are equal, nor are their responsibilities and stresses. This will limit the rewarding of excellence and reward possible mediocrity under the guise of equality. This is just one more decision taken away from the employer and placed with the Federal government...plain old garden variety "interference" under another name. No one supports discrimination anywhere, and blatant discrimination of any kind should be ended, but this is just so over the line of what the responsibilities of our government should be, This is big brother taking liberty away from private business owners and saddling them with business-destroying regulation and taxation. Will any area of our lives be left intact when the Obama crew finally (please God)packs it in and leaves Washington?
what you have here is a delusional Beck watching, Limbaugh quoting, Heritage Foundation worshipper. Sorry rightwing nut, progress marches forward, equality for ALL Americans FINALLY!!
Thank God for our democratic president who understands the abuses we have endured for far too many generations. Thank you Mr. President!
