On the anniversary of the day the Equal Pay Act of 1963 was signed into law, the Connecticut Permanent Commission on the Status of Women is pushing U.S. Congress today to fulfill the law’s promise to provide equal pay to both genders.
When the law was passed in 1963, women made 59 cents for every $1 earned by similar qualified men. Today, that amount is 76 cents and considerably less for minority women.
The Connecticut Permanent Commission on the Status of Women wants Congress to pay the Paycheck Fairness Act to get pay of men and women more in line with each other. The act requires employers to show why unequal pay is not sex-based; prohibits employers from retaliating against employees who discuss salary information; and increase the penalties for pay discrimination.
“What’s significant about the Paycheck Fairness Act is that it really puts teeth into the original law,” said Teresa C. Younger, executive director of the PCSW, in a press release. “It removes any ambiguity, holds employers accountable and has provisions for training and employee protections.”
