After Senate Republicans filibustered the Paycheck Fairness Act yesterday it is pretty clear they have become emboldened to turn Congress into a big log-jam that harms working families. The bill would have given women workers more tools to fight pay discrimination based on gender. Here is what AFL-CIO President Rich Trumka had to say:
Senate Republicans today disrespected America's working women by voting to prevent any debate on the Paycheck Fairness Act. Simply put, blocking the Paycheck Fairness Act encourages discrimination of women in the workplace.
Efforts like this legislation to close the income gap in our country are an essential component to long-term economic recovery. Republicans in the Senate have remained content to leave the middle-class and the poor out in the cold in pursuit of their political goals and interests of their Wall Street allies. They have had but one message to the elderly, the unemployed, the uninsured and now even women, 'No'.
The Obama administration says it will continue to fight for fair pay for women workers. Labor Sec. Hilda Solis wrote this on her blog:
I am deeply disappointed that the Senate did not pass this important piece of legislation, but the issue of pay equity is far too important to give up. I remain committed to the fight for this commonsense reform, and my department will redouble its efforts to ensure America’s women are not treated as second class citizens by employers who refuse to compensate them in a fair and equitable manner.
While the Senate fell short of the mark today, it is important to note that the Paycheck Fairness Act was approved by the House of Representatives almost two years ago. The bill was specifically designed to address the persistent gap between men’s and women’s wages. It tackles that challenge by enhancing enforcement and by closing loopholes in the 47-year old Equal Pay Act.
She also noted some historical characteristics of the gender wage gap and the impact it has on women and their families:
Today, women are the sole or co-wage earner in two-thirds of American households. And, for a growing number of families, equal pay for women is not just a matter of principle. It is a matter of survival.
Despite decades of efforts since 1963, the wage gap has narrowed from 59 cents for each dollar a man makes to a still unbelievably paltry 77 cents in 2010. It is equally shocking that the gap has closed only 5 cents in the past 20 years. At that pace, it will take almost 100 more years for women to achieve pay equity. The situation is even worse for women of color. In fact, today, African-American women make 69 cents for every dollar made by a man. Latinas make just 60 cents.
When women first start working, the wage gap is usually small, and some groups of women have earnings on par with men. However, the gap grows substantially as men and women progress in their careers. Men get larger raises and promotions. And, even when women keep pace with promotions, they still fall behind in pay. That has major long-term economic implications. By the age of 65, the typical full-time working woman has about $365,000 less in earnings relative to a full-time working man. This gap in earnings follows women into retirement, resulting in smaller pensions and lower Social Security.
The Republican Party's unanimous action on this bill reveals their ideologically motivated sexism and dislike for working families. Consider how hard they will fight to win a new tax cut for the rich while leaving working women in the lurch.
