Dear Representative:
The AFL-CIO urges you to support the Paycheck Fairness Act of 2015 (H.R.1619), a long overdue remedial measure that responds to the demonstrated inadequacies of the Equal Pay Act.
When the Equal Pay Act of 1963 was enacted into law it became illegal for employers to pay unequal wages to male and female employees who perform the same work. Yet wage disparities between women and men are evident today in both the private and public sectors and at every educational level. The Paycheck Fairness Act responds to the demonstrated inadequacies of the Equal Pay Act, and provides targeted remedies designed to update the provisions of that historic law.
The Paycheck Fairness Act would require employers to demonstrate that wage gaps between men and women doing the same work are truly a result of factors other than gender. It also would prohibit retaliation against workers who share salary information, or inquire about their employers' wage practices. H.R. 1619 also would bring Equal Pay Act remedies and class action procedures into conformance with those available for other civil rights claims.
The Paycheck Fairness Act also would strengthen the government’s ability to identify and remedy systematic wage discrimination. It would require the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) to reinstate critical activities that promote and enforce equal pay, such as collecting wage-related data and providing technical assistance to employers. H.R. 1619 would additionally require the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) to develop regulations that direct employers to collect wage data and report the race, sex, and national origin of employees, and authorize additional training for EEOC staff to better identify and handle wage disputes.
We urge you to support cloture and final passage of the Paycheck Fairness Act (H.R. 1619), and to oppose any amendment that would weaken this vital legislation.
Sincerely,
William Samuel, Director
Government Affairs Department