Brown to Sign Fair Act Pay in Richmond Tuesday, Speak in San Francisco

Gov. Jerry Brown will be in Richmond this morning to sign legislation strengthening women’s rights to equal pay for equal work. Brown will sign the California Fair Pay Act, Senate Bill 358, at the Rosie the Riveter WWII Home Front National Historical Park at 10:30 a.m., according to the governor’s office. The bill by state Sen. Hannah-Beth Jackson, D-Santa Barbara, eliminates some loopholes and outdated terms in current state labor codes that make it harder to enforce equal pay provisions and clarifies the burden of proof for claims made under the law, according to proponents.

For instance, under current law a woman who works at a facility in Oakland could not necessarily compare her salary to that of a man who holds the same position for the same company at a facility in Berkeley, proponents said. The new law would eliminate that “same establishment” requirement for comparison and also make it harder for employers to use irrelevant factors other than gender as a defense by making the requirements for such a defense more specific, proponents said.

The law also prohibits retaliation against employees for disclosing or discussing their own wages or inquiring about other employees’ wages. Brown will also speak at the Urban Land Institute’s fall meeting in San Francisco at 4:30 p.m. today at Moscone Center West.

Brown will speak with George Marcus, chairman of the real estate and investment firm Marcus and Millichap, about current leadership challenges and the future possibilities he sees for California and the nation.

By Bay City News

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