Worker Rights

WASHINGTON, DC -- U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), the chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee and chief House sponsor of the legislation, issued the following statement today after President Obama signed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act into law.

WASHINGTON – The U.S. House of Representatives gave final approval today to reverse a Supreme Court ruling that has made it more difficult for Americans to pursue pay discrimination claims. The bill now goes to President Obama and will likely be the first major piece of legislation he signs into law.

The House gave final approval to the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act today by a vote of 250-177. The measure will be the first bill sent to President Obama's desk for his signature.  The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act will reverse a Supreme Court ruling that has made it more difficult for Americans to pursue pay discrimination claims.  It clarifies that every paycheck or other compensation resulting from an earlier discriminatory pay decision constitutes a violation of the Civil Rights Act. As long as workers file their charges within 180 days of a discriminatory paycheck, their charges would be considered timely. This was the law prior to the Supreme Court’s May 2007 decision in Ledbetter v. Goodyear.

"The Ledbetter v. Goodyear Supreme Court ruling was a painful step backwards for civil rights in this country. Today, the House will correct this injustice, and send President Obama his first bill to sign into law," Chairman George Miller said today.

Watch Chairman Miller's January 9, 2009 statement about the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act on the House floor:



















Watch Lilly Ledbetter's 2007 testimony before the Committee:

“What happened to me is not only an insult to my dignity, but it had real consequences for my ability to care for my family. Every paycheck I received, I got less than what I was entitled to under the law.

“The Supreme Court said that this didn’t count as illegal discrimination, but it sure feels like discrimination when you are on the receiving end of that smaller paycheck and trying to support your family with less money than the men are getting for doing the same job.

“And according to the Court, if you don’t figure things out right away, the company can treat you like a second-class citizen for the rest of your career. That isn’t right.” -- Lilly Ledbetter.

The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act is expected to be considered on the House floor today, January 27, for final approval before being sent to President Obama's desk for signature into law.

After the Senate passed the measure on January 22 by a vote of 61-36, Chairman Miller said:

“I applaud the Senate’s swift approval of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. Our nation is one step closer to correcting a disastrous Supreme Court decision that allows bad employers to engage in illegal employment discrimination so long as they keep it hidden for 180 days. Illegal employment discrimination in any form is an attack on all working Americans and must be stamped out.

“The 2007 Ledbetter Supreme Court decision has already had a chilling impact on hundreds of discrimination claims. It wasn’t Lilly Ledbetter’s fault that Goodyear decided to pay her less because she was a woman. But a narrowly divided, ideological Supreme Court said that even though her company had engaged in illegal pay discrimination in secret for decades, she would have to live with a smaller pension and Social Security benefit for the rest of her life. This isn’t just or fair by any measure.

“It is well past time to reset the law to where it was before the ruling. The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act will do just that. I expect the House will quickly pass the Senate’s version and send it to President Obama for his signature.”

WASHINGTON, DC -- U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), the chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee and chief House sponsor of the legislation, issued the following statement today after the Senate passed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act by a 61 to 36 vote.

The House passed the bill by a 247 to 171 vote on January 9. The legislation is on track to be one of the first bills sent to President Obama’s desk.

WASHINGTON, DC -- The House of Representatives today approved legislation to rectify a Supreme Court ruling that made it harder for Americans to pursue discrimination claims. The bill is among the first considered by the 111th Congress and passed by a 247 to 171 vote.

On January 9, the House of Representatives passed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act by a vote of 247-171, and the Paycheck Fairness Act by a vote of 256-163.

“The Supreme Court’s misguided decision is already having very harmful consequences far beyond Ms. Ledbetter’s case and must not stand.  This issue is about basic fairness for our nation’s workers. Americans shouldn’t be treated differently based on the color of their skin, gender, disability or faith.” -- Chairman George Miller



“In this economy, families are struggling to make ends meet. Not one of them deserves to be shortchanged, but because women still earn 78 cents for every dollar men earn, many unfortunately are. But this does not need to be.  Today, by passing the Paycheck Fairness Act, we send a strong message that gender discrimination is unacceptable and women will have the tools they need to combat it. We are standing up for working women and their families. It is our moment to fight for economic freedom and eliminate the systemic discrimination faced by women workers. With this legislation, we begin the change, make history, and change lives.” -- Rep. Rosa DeLauro, sponsor of the Paycheck Fairness Act

WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. House of Representatives approved legislation today that would help end the discriminatory practice of paying men and women unequally for performing the same job.
 

 

The House is scheduled to vote on the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act and the Paycheck Fairness Act today, January 9.

Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act:

On May 29, 2007, in its 5-4 Ledbetter v. Goodyear decision, the Supreme Court severely restricted the rights of employees to challenge unlawful pay discrimination. The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act restores employee rights to challenge pay discrimination.

The Court’s misguided decision is already having very harmful consequences far beyond Ms. Ledbetter’s case. According to The New York Times, the Ledbetter decision was cited in at least 300 cases in the 19 months after the Supreme Court's ruling. Not only have pay discrimination cases been adversely impacted, but Fair Housing, Title IX, and even the Eighth Amendment also have been affected. More on the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act »

Paycheck Fairness Act:

The Paycheck Fairness Act would help end the discriminatory practice of paying men and women unequally for performing the same job. The bill, which was introduced by Rep. Rosa DeLauro, will strengthen the Equal Pay Act and close the loopholes that have allowed employers to avoid responsibility for discriminatory pay.

Although the wage gap between men and women has narrowed since the passage of the landmark Equal Pay Act in 1963, gender-based wage discrimination remains a problem for women in the U.S. workforce. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, women only make 78 cents for every dollar earned by a man. The Institute of Women’s Policy Research found that this wage disparity will cost women anywhere from $400,000 to $2 million over a lifetime in lost wages. More on the Paycheck Fairness Act »

WASHINGTON, DC -- Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey (D-CA), chairwoman of the House Education and Labor Subcommittee on Workforce Protections and Congressman Phil Hare (D-IL), a Subcommittee member and a leading advocate of workplace safety, today released the following statements in response to the settlement reached between the U.S. Department of Labor and Cintas Inc. regarding the company’s repeat workplace safety violations, including one which lead to the death of a worker in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

“While I am thankful that OSHA has finally reached an agreement to force Cintas to fix hazards that have resulted in repeated safety violations, I am deeply disturbed that the settlement does not specifically hold Cintas responsible and does not go far enough to prevent future accidents,” said Rep. Lynn Woolsey.  

WASHINGTON, DC -- Legislation that would help protect guest workers from fraud, abuse and exploitation at the hands of foreign labor recruiters and U.S. employers cleared Congress yesterday, as part of a larger bipartisan measure to combat human trafficking.

The provisions were championed by U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), the chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee, and U.S. Reps. Howard Berman (D-CA), John Conyers (D-MI), and Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), and are expected to be signed by the President.

The House of Representatives gave final approval today for legislation to stop discrimination against individuals with disabilities by restoring the original intent of the Americans with Disabilities Act.   By a voice vote, the House passed the ADA Amendments Act (S. 3406) to reverse several U.S. Supreme Court decisions that have undermined the Americans with Disabilities Act. Since the ADA’s enactment nearly two decades ago, courts have dramatically reduced the numbers of workers who are protected from employment discrimination under the law. The bill now goes to President Bush for his signature.

Chairman George Miller sent a letter Friday to Colombia’s President Álvaro Uribe, asking his government to address concerns that Colombia has failed to adequately address the nearly 2,700 murders of labor union leaders in his country. President Uribe will meet with Miller and other members of Congress this week in Washington.

The House passed the Paycheck Fairness Act today, by a vote of 247-178.  This bill will help end the discriminatory practice of paying a woman less than a man for performing the same job by strengthening the landmark Equal Pay Act and closing the loopholes that have allowed some employers to avoid responsibility for discriminatory pay.

On Wednesday, July 30, the Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions Subcommittee will hold a hearing on the proposed merger of Delta and Northwest Airlines and the merger’s potential impact on workers of those airlines.

"The Proposed Delta/Northwest Airlines Merger: The Impact on Workers”
Wednesday, July 30, 2008, 10:30 a.m. EDT

The Committee passed the Paycheck Fairness Act today to help end the discriminatory practice of paying men and women unequally for performing the same job, by a 26 to 17 vote.  The bill, which was introduced by Rep. Rosa DeLauro, will strengthen the Equal Pay Act and close the loopholes that have allowed employers to avoid responsibility for discriminatory pay.  Although the wage gap between men and women has narrowed since the passage of the landmark Equal Pay Act in 1963, gender-based wage discrimination remains a significant problem for women in the U.S. workforce. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, women only make 77 cents for every dollar earned by a man. The Institute of Women’s Policy Research concluded that this wage disparity will cost a woman anywhere from $400,000 to $2 million over her lifetime in lost wages.

On Thursday, July 24, the Committee will vote on legislation to help end the discriminatory practice of paying men and women differently for performing the same job.  The Paycheck Fairness Act (H.R. 1338), introduced by Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), will strengthen the Equal Pay Act and close the loopholes that have allowed employers to avoid responsibility of discriminatory pay.  Although the wage gap between men and women has narrowed since the passage of the landmark Equal Pay Act in 1963, gender-based wage discrimination remains a problem for women in the U.S. workforce. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, women only make 77 cents for every dollar earned by a man. The Institute of Women’s Policy Research found that this wage disparity will cost women anywhere from $400,000 to $2 million over a lifetime in lost wages.

Markup on "H.R. 1338, Paycheck Fairness Act"
Thursday, July 24, 2008, 1:00 p.m. EDT
 

The Workforce Protections Subcommittee of the House Education and Labor Committee held a hearing on Immigration and Custom Enforcement workplace raids and the effects of the raids on local communities, including the impact on children, most of whom are American citizens. Witnesses explored how immigration enforcement could be improved in order to protect children.

The Workforce Protections Subcommittee of the House Education and Labor Committee held a hearing on the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s lack of adequate enforcement and oversight of workplace safety and health conditions within large, multiple-facility corporations.

Witnesses explored events at the Cintas Corporation, the largest uniform supplier in North America. In 2007, a worker died at the company’s Tulsa facility despite previous evidence, known to both OSHA and Cintas, of similar hazards at other Cintas facilities and industrial laundries. The death resulted in the largest service sector fine in OSHA’s history and was followed by additional citations of similar problems at other Cintas facilities.