Maltese Calls out NYS Governor Cuomo on enacting Women's Equality

Maryann Maltese, Democratic Candidate for NYS Assembly 12th AD-is calling out the Governor to enact what she calls the Maltese Bill for Women's Equal Pay Rights within the NYS Legislature or Public Sector Employment. Our right to vote's anniversary is on August 26, 2020-and what better way to mark the occasion then from Female Staffers with tenure to receive prevailing wages for performances earned.

Maryann was employed for the NYS Legislature for 18 years but has worked on Women's causes for 30 years. It's been 100 years that women have had the right to vote and to run for Public Office. Members of the Legislature are paid universally the same-however grave injustice still lingers on pay scales for Female Staff Members within Public Sector. Women in the Public Sector-Staff Members on average are still being paid 60-70 cents on every dollar a Male makes for the same position. This is outrageous in our day and age. Public Sector Women deserve respect and fairness in wages earned or the ability to go after the Governmental sector if it can be determined that unfairness in salary was issued.

Governor Cuomo in 2017; started his Women's agenda and has made some positive changes for private sector female staffers to pursue injustice-but the Governor has been held back from introducing the legislation required to FIX the problem of unequal wages within the legislature.

NYS Public Legislative Employees are not UNIONIZED due to Constitutional requirements while we are in service-we are bound by rules of Service by Our Oath of office. However, one hopes that being employed within the NYS Legislature, that as Policy Makers we held to the highest standards and are to be looked at as the Example and set the standards for Women in the private sector. By doing so-Public Sector Women Staffers need Fairness in Wages or BACK wages for duties performed.

Maryann Maltese is long time activist for Women's Rights and equal pay for equal work. This year if the Governor introduces this bill to provide women of the NYS Legislature with the ability to file complaints within the NYS Legislature to review their performance-then fairness in wages can be reviewed and if determined to be unjustified-then legislative action can be achieved to correct it. It is without a shadow of a doubt that I'm one of these Women formerly employed with NYS Legislature from 1994-2013 who held title and grave responsibility, achieve tenured service, but was paid significantly less then others in the same role, especially those who are Males. I'm not individually angry with any Male that I worked with or along side of-I'm advocating for the Leadership to wake up and make the necessary changes. It's been 7 Sessions whereas Staffers haven't received Wage increases or Retirees COLA allowances as well. Read below-what Huntington Township has passed as well.

Some have asked me why did I remain in service; simply put, I'm a Political Scientist by Education and Profession-I believe in democratic process and in order to achieve change-one must be involved with change for the greater good. I'm not presently in service with NYS-but I'm in good standing as a former NYS Public Employee, who is allowed to reenter service at any time-like one in the Reserves and I can speak whenever I choose too. Public Officers take care of Public Officers; our Oaths are similar to the Military and Emergency Service Staffers. As a female candidate for NYS Assembly-I recognize the need for women employed within NYS Legislature to have their salaries reviewed to see if they're being paid equitably and if not; to introduce the bills needed to correct wage unfairness immediately. These types of legislative bills are introduced for Veterans or other levels of State Employees when it is determined that their pay scale did not meet Employment Standards or Cost of Living Allowances (COLA levels) for Title and performance of their Service; and as a result governmental bodies make adjustments. I worked on many of these projects to help fellow Public Servants who provided exceptional service, both women and men when their performance in service warrants this adjustment. For women staffers who have worked within the Legislature it is much more prevalent that WE have been paid less-a practice that needs to end. This practice of paying Females 60-70cents per dollar earned by Male counterparts must end within the NYS Legislature again-for us to be setting the example going forward-and wouldn't that make the 100th Anniversary of Women's Suffrage Movement a successful Moment, said Maryann Maltese.

By introducing the Maltese Wage Fairness bill; its passage will encourage other Women to come forward and ask for justice in correcting unfair wages within the Public and Private Sectors, said Maryann Maltese.

"Today, I'm calling on the Governor to remind him, that August 26th is 19 days away-and that day embodies the 19th Amendment which gave Women the Right to Vote and ultimately the ability to run for office", said Maryann Maltese.

Have you heard the call or email Hon. Andrew Cuomo?

I certainly hope so because again the Town of Huntington just passed Resolution 2020-333 prohibiting former NYS and NYC Public Servants who are new Township hires from receiving Health Insurance or other personnel benefits; like a sick day. Our people, Public Servants-like yourself Sir-need to stop driving Public Servants away from reentering public service who are skilled, specialized or tenured or to balance budgets on our peoples backs.

To get involved with Maryann Maltese's campaign for NYS Assembly 12th AD-reach out; maryannmaltesefornysassembly@gmail.com.