Equal Pay Act Was an Important Step, But Not the Entire Solution

Today, our nation recognizes the 50^th anniversary of the Equal Pay Act of 1963. This landmark legislation signed into law by President John F. Kennedy represented a step forward in the fight against wage inequality. The Equal Pay Act set the standard for preventing wage discrimination by advocating a policy of equal pay for equal work.

Despite the progress made on behalf of hard-working Americans by the Equal Pay Act, the problem has not been solved.  Unfortunately, unscrupulous employers continued to deny women the wages they have rightfully earned. Today, on average, American women – including those who work in Massachusetts - make 77 cents for every dollar a man earns for the same work. This amounts to an average yearly gap of $14,080, and I find it unacceptable. This lost income could provide more than a year and half of groceries or hundreds of tanks of gas for a family’s car. Unfortunately, the wage gap is even more egregious for Hispanic and African American women. Hispanic women earn approximately 55% of what men earn for working the same job, while African American women earn about 64% of what men earn on average nationwide.

These disconcerting statistics, among others, is why the fight for equal pay for equal work continues. I am proud to support H.R. 377, or the Paycheck Fairness Act, which would address many of the issues associated with pay discrimination. The Paycheck Fairness Act would close loopholes to prevent wage discrimination based on a worker’s gender, increase the federal government’s capacity to investigate and enforce pay discrimination, and positively acknowledge employers who exhibit fair pay practices.

If you are interested in sharing your thoughts on this critical issue, I look forward to hearing from you on Facebook, Twitter, and other social media. Together can we raise awareness on this important issue and urge Congress to take action.

If you would like to learn more about women who have suffered from wage inequality, you can find their stories at http://www.aauw.org/fairpay/.

As always, for more information about me or other legislative issues please follow me on Twitter, like my page on Facebook, or visit my website http://www.tierney.house.gov/.