Tuesday, September 8, 2015
A Call to Action in Lieu of California’s Fair Pay Act
The gender pay gap
is an economically debilitating form of institutionalized sexism that, to this
day, permeates the American workforce.
On average, American women earn $.78 for every $1 a white, non-Hispanic
man makes. That being said, however, the
gender pay gap for women of color is far worse.
Black and Hispanic women make $.64
and $.54 respectively to every $1 a White, non-Hispanic man earns. These staggering statistics have severe
economic reproductions for women all across the United States. On average, women who work full time year
round will earn $10,876
less in median earnings than their male counterparts. This gap has a serious impact on the economic
security of more than 7.3 million and the state of California decided to take
action in
On September 2nd, the California
state legislature passed the nation’s most comprehensive piece of equal pay
legislation that aims to dramatically decrease the gender pay gap for all women
in both the private and public sectors.
The
Fair Pay Act, which is expected to be signed into law by Governor Jerry
Brown, ensures that male and female employees who perform “substantially
similar” work receive equal pay regardless if their job tittles differ or if
they work in different offices for the same employer. The bill also stipulates that employees are
permitted to ask about and discuss co-workers’ wages without fear of punishment
from employers. These provisions make
the bill the strongest piece of equal pay legislation passed in United States
history.
Although
California’s Far Pay Act won’t provide the framework in which to close the wage
gap in its entirety, the bill is an important first step in seriously reducing
the gender pay gap and strengthen the economic status of all types of
women. It’s imperative that other
states, including the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, pass their own
comprehensive equal pay legislation and begin prioritizing women’s economic security
in the legislative agenda.
-MWPC Intern Talia Lepson
