Tell Your Senators to Support the Paycheck Fairness Act: It’s Common Cents! from ACLU 20APR10

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According to the U.S. Census Bureau, even today, women who work full time still earn, on average, only 77 cents for every dollar men earn. The figures are even worse for women of color. African American women still only earn approximately 61 cents and Latinas only 52 cents for each dollar earned by a white male.

But it’s not just cents we’re talking about. Chronic wage discrimination can deprive a woman of between $700,000 and $2 million over her career. The effect of wage discrimination follows its victims for a lifetime.

The Equal Pay Act of 1963 was intended to close this pay gap. Unfortunately, due to loopholes and weak remedies in this law, the pernicious pay disparities persist. And now, due to rising unemployment rates, families need to bring home every dollar they rightfully earn – making pay equity even more necessary, not only to families’ economic security, but also to the nation's economic recovery.

The Paycheck Fairness Act, S. 182, makes several common sense changes to strengthen the Equal Pay Act -- putting in place enforcement tools needed to make real progress on pay equity.

The House of Representatives has already passed the Paycheck Fairness Act, and now, your help is needed to let the Senate know that working families cannot wait any longer. Especially in this economy, there is an urgent need to take action to ensure that women can receive equal pay for equal work by passing the Paycheck Fairness Act. It’s only common cents.

We need your help to close the wage gap for women -- take action now! Here is the letter to your Senators

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, women still make only 77 cents for every dollar made by their male counterparts doing the same work. The statistics are even worse for women of color. We ask you to help stop the persistent wage gap for women and support the Paycheck Fairness Act, S. 182. In January 2009, the House of Representatives passed this bill on a bipartisan basis, and now, your action in the Senate is needed.

The vitally important Paycheck Fairness Act will put an end to loopholes and weak remedies that have made the Equal Pay Act, a 47 year-old law that was supposed to ensure equal pay for women, less effective than it should be in combating wage discrimination. The bill would require employers to demonstrate that differences in wages among employees are not based on gender. It would also strengthen outreach, education, and enforcement efforts and prohibit retaliation against workers who ask about employers' wage practices.

Due to rising unemployment rates, families need to bring home every dollar they rightfully earn -- making pay equity even more necessary, not only to families' economic security, but also to the nation's economic recovery. It's time to work together to make real progress on pay equity. I urge you to co-sponsor the Paycheck Fairness Act (S.182) and to seek its swift passage -- without weakening amendments -- as soon as possible.

I am following this issue closely and look forward to your response.