Columns
Friday, April 9, 2004
equal pay for equal work
April 15th is the most taxing day of the year. It is also National Equal Pay Day, a day for rededicating ourselves to the goal of fairness and equality in the workplace. It is shocking to realize that, in the United States, the typical woman who works full-time year-round earns only 76 cents in wages for every dollar that men are paid. This inequity means that the average American woman would have to work an extra ten hours a week to equal the paycheck of a man doing largely the same job. Closing this wage gap is a matter of simple fairness for Iowa’s women. But it is also a matter of economic necessity for Iowa’s families. Consider that 60 percent of women with children under the age of 3 are now in the workforce. Nearly two-thirds of working women provide half or more of their household’s income. In nearly 10 million American households, the mother is the only breadwinner. These families struggle to pay the rent or make mortgage payments, buy the groceries, cover the medical bills and save for a child’s education. To address this challenge, I have sponsored the Paycheck Fairness Act. This legislation would treat wage discrimination based on gender the same as we now treat wage discrimination based on race or ethnicity. Additionally, it would toughen the remedy provisions of the Equal Pay Act of 1963 so women have more leverage in their struggle for fair wages. Passing the Paycheck Fairness Act would be a good first step. But, if we really want to end wage discrimination once and for all, we must address the wage gap between jobs that are dominated by men and those dominated by women. That’s why I am also sponsoring the Fair Pay Act in the Senate. This legislation would address the historic pattern of undervaluing and underpaying so-called “women’s” jobs. For example, social workers (a female-dominated field) are paid less than probation officers (a male-dominated field) even though both jobs require similar levels of skill, effort, and responsibility. The Fair Pay Act says that where working conditions are similar, wages should also be similar. Let me emphasize that this bill would not lower men’s pay to equalize that of women and minorities. The Paycheck Fairness Act and the Fair Pay Act would empower America’s working women and their families to fight wage discrimination. Bear in mind that when women are discriminated against in their pay, their families get cheated too. Eliminating the pay gap can make a huge difference for a struggling family. It can mean the difference between self-sufficiency and welfare dependency. It can mean the difference between a decent retirement and an uncertain, insecure old age. We are not talking, here, about special treatment for anyone. To the contrary, we are talking about fundamental American values of fairness and equality. April 15 is a good day to rededicate ourselves to ending the “gender tax” on women in the workplace. Women deserve equal pay – it’s as simple as that.
