For Immediate Release: June 9, 2006
Contact: Kimberly Allen, (202) 226-8364; (202) 420-1524 [cell]
Rep. Rothman Commemorates the 43rd Anniversary of the Equal Pay Act
(Washington, DC)— This Saturday marks the 43rd Anniversary of the Equal Pay Act, the first legislation to address the practice of paying female employees less than their male counterparts for the same job. To commemorate this day, Representative Steve Rothman (D-NJ) reiterated his support for The Paycheck Fairness Act, legislation to strengthen the Equal Pay Act by providing more effective remedies to women who are not being paid equal wages.
"As a father, I am appalled that in the 21st Century my daughter will one day graduate from college and earn less money than a male employee for the same work. I fully support the Paycheck Fairness Act and will continue to push for a vote on it in the House of Representatives. Women have the right to equal pay and that right must be upheld," said Rothman.
Specifically, the Paycheck Fairness Act increases penalties against employers who discriminate in the payment of wages; enhances the Department of Labor's outreach and training programs to work with employers to eliminate pay disparities; and enables employees to share salary information with their co-workers. It also authorizes the Secretary of Labor to fund negotiation skills training programs for girls and women.
Currently, women are eight times less likely to negotiate their starting salaries than men, a problem that can cost women $568,000 over their lifetime, according to a recent study by Carnegie Mellon University. When President John F. Kennedy signed the Equal Pay Act on June 10, 1963, women earned only 59 cents on average for every dollar earned by men. Today, women earn about 77 cents for each dollar a man earns, on average. That means it takes the average woman 16 months to earn what men earn in one calendar year.
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