NY Officials on Pay Equity
Posted by bneufeld on April 27, 2009 at 14:15 pm
We are proud to share with you these powerful statements of support from our local elected officials.
“It is clear that while woman have long fought for equality in the workplace, there is still much work to be done to close the wage gap, particularly for women of color,” said U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand. “When women earn more, their families succeed and their children have better access to quality health care, educational opportunities, and safe communities. I am proud to be leading the fight to pass the Paycheck Fairness Act in the Senate, and I will continue to work until we ensure that women in New York and across the nation receive equal pay for equal work.”
“Studies show that women make 78 cents for every dollar that their male counterparts make for the same tasks,” said NYS Senator Craig Johnson. “Pay discrimination is still a fact of life and once and for all we need to ensure that everyone receive the equal pay and the equal respect that they deserve.”
“Women continue to face opposition in the work place, but the movement of the Fair Pay Act out of the Senate Labor Committee where it has languished for years marks a step forward in what has been a centuries old battle to substantiate the fundamental principle of the Declaration of Independence: that everyone is created equal. I am exceptionally proud to share this moment with my female colleagues in the Legislature, and all the working women across the state. New York is the birthplace of the women’s movement and it’s time we lived up to our history,” said NYS Deputy Majority Leader, Senator Jeff Klein.
“It’s the 21st Century! Can you believe we still have to fight this fight?” said NYS Senator Liz Krueger, a sponsor of the NYS Fair Pay Act. “The practice of paying lower wages for jobs traditionally done by women translates into higher poverty rates for women and their children, as well as for older women who then have lower savings for retirement. I commend Senator Johnson for his efforts to address this critical issue of economic justice, but I’ve got to tell you it is pretty outrageous we haven’t yet changed the laws.”
“Equal pay is not just a women’s issue, it’s a family issue. While more women are working now than ever before, the wage gap has stayed static for some twenty years. When women don’t receive equal pay for equal work, they aren’t the only ones whose pocketbook is squeezed. Discriminatory wages also hurt their husbands and children. Paycheck Fairness and the New York State Fair Pay Act are even more important during this time of economic hardship. The time for equal pay is now.” – U. S. Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney
“Equal pay for women is not just a women’s right issue, but an economic issue as well. When women are fairly compensated, their families and communities do better as well.” – Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer
And from Ellen Bravo, Author of Taking on the Big Boys:
“A key problem is that society undervalues the work women do. Many jobs that are now female-dominated, such as clerical work, once excluded females. When men were in short supply during the Civil War, women were hired into these positions at half to two-thirds the wages of men. Women performed well, employers hired more and more of them — and that discriminatory wage eventually became the market rate. Similarly, the lack of regard for women’s work as caregivers in the home set low values for that same work in the marketplace…That’s why those who care for our young children earn less than those who care for our cars, our pets, our lawns.”
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