BHO signed this important legislation into law this morning, with Hillary, Lilly, Barbara Mikulski, and a lot of other powerful and brilliant women looking on. Star of the show was Ledbetter, but given how hard Hillary worked to draw attention to the need to correct a grievous wrong by our high court, I'm pretty pissed the news reports failed to mention her hard work.
His entrance in the room was met with hearty cheers from the many labor and women's groups represented there. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the first woman speaker in the history of Congress, and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, were present.
As you know, this new law allows women to sue employers for back pay if they discover a wage gap between themselves and male colleagues - dating back to their first paycheck. For many women, this means hundreds of thousands of dollars over the course of a career. Take this info from The Campaign for Gender Equality - they sent out an email marking this historic day, and they included one passage that really got my attention...
The Institute for Women's Policy Research calculated that a typical female college graduate in 1984, who is now in her mid 40s, has lost a total of $440,743 dollars in the years between 1984 and 2004.
Ummm... this is me you guys. I graduated college that year and I guess now the trick is to figure out where I go to get my back pay. Thing is, even with this new law it's not that simple when you've worked several jobs in 25 years. When they start you out at the receptionist desk while men your age waltz into the back room for more substantive work, your future pay is based on the lower wages you start out with. They move up the food chain more rapidly and you're, well... fecked. Thankfully, this new law opens the door to justice for thousands of women who've been cheated by employers over the years, and will put employers on notice that it is not acceptable to pay women less than their male counterparts.
Here's what our friends at the Campaign for Gender Equality sent out this morning...
Today, President Obama signed the Lilly Ledbetter Act into law, taking us in the right direction towards ending pay disparity in the workplace. The act eliminates the 180 day statute of limitations on pay discrimination lawsuits, overturning the Supreme Court decision in Ledbetter vs. Goodyear. It gives all working women the means to fight against discriminatory pay practices, especially in work environments where individual compensation is often kept a secret.
It's amazing to see how far we've come and sobering to see how far we truly have to go.
In 1963, when President Kennedy signed the Equal Pay Act (EPA) into law, women who worked full-time earned 59 cents for every dollar a man earned. Government statistics show that women who work full-time today earn 78 cents to the dollar. Women of color earn even less. African American women earn 69 cents and Hispanic women earn 59 cents compared to men. The wage gap cannot be dismissed as the result of "women's choices" in career and family matters. Even when women make the same career choices as men, they still earn less. The Institute for Women's Policy Research calculated that a typical female college graduate in 1984, who is now in her mid 40s, has lost a total of $440,743 dollars in the years between 1984 and 2004. (View their Fact Sheet)
One example is the ongoing class action lawsuit filed against Wal-Mart. In the largest employment discrimination suit ever filed, over 2 million women employees are suing Wal-Mart for pay disparities between women and men and for systematically preventing women from advancing in their careers.
One woman alleged that when she complained of the pay disparity, her manager said that women would never make as much as men because "God made Adam first." Another woman alleged that when she applied for a raise, her manager said, "Men are here to make a career, and women aren't. Retail is for housewives who just need to earn extra money." (from National Women's Law Center)
The Lilly Ledbetter Act is one step towards pay parity, but as you can see we still have a long way to go. These pay disparities are of particular concern in light of the present state of the economy. As Speaker Pelosi said, "As families grapple with the difficulties of gas prices, food prices, and the credit crisis, equal pay for equal work is an economic issue for millions." Although the general population has suffered because of the economic downturn, women bear the brunt. That's why right now pay equity is so important to women, men, and their families. As Ms. Ledbetter so eloquently put it, "It's a family affair."
The Campaign for Gender Equality believes that when one Individual is oppressed, we are all oppressed. By working together we can make real and lasting change.
Oh yeah... that bit I mentioned about starting out at the receptionist desk while men waltz into more substantive jobs right off the bat? That was me when I worked for a Congressman. Look around the Hill and I bet little has changed in over 20 years. I doubt you see many men at those receptionist desks, even in Democratic offices.
We've still got a long way to go folks. Now is NOT the time to let up!
"Always aim high, work hard, and care deeply about what you believe in. When you stumble, keep faith. When you?re knocked down, get right back up. And NEVER listen to anyone who says you can't or shouldn't go on."
Hillary Clinton - June 7, 2008
