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House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
House of Representatives
Session of 2013 - 2014
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | April 22, 2014 04:18 PM |
|---|---|
| From: | Representative Erin C. Molchany and Rep. Brian Sims |
| To: | All House members |
| Subject: | Urging Executive Action on Paycheck Fairness |
| In the near future we plan to introduce a resolution that would urge Governor Corbett to issue two executive orders on the subject of equal pay. As the latest statistics show, female full-time workers in Pennsylvania are paid less than their male counterparts at a rate of 76 cents for every $1 paid to men. Statistics also show that, nationwide, about one-third (34%) of working mothers are the sole breadwinners for their families. Consequently, this reliance on women’s wages to maintain households makes the gender pay gap more than just a women’s issue; it is also a family issue. It is also important to note that women working full-time one year out of college in 2011 were paid on average 82 percent of what their male counterparts were paid. Even after accounting for all the factors that influence earnings, such as occupation, college major, and hours worked, studies have concluded that the gender pay gap is a very real phenomenon which plagues our Commonwealth. Our resolution would strongly urge Governor Corbett to issue an Executive Order affirming that the antidiscrimination provisions of the Procurement Code extend to equal pay discrimination. §3701 of the Procurement Code, requires that every contract for the construction, alteration or repair of any public building or public work contain provisions stipulating that the contractor or subcontractor or any person acting on the behalf of the contractor or subcontractor agree to not discriminate by reason of gender, race, creed or color in the hiring of employees for the performance of work under any contract or subcontract. Our resolution would also call upon Governor Corbett to issue an Executive Order directing the Department of Labor and Industry to require state contractors and subcontractors to submit data on the compensation paid to their employees, including data by gender, race, age, and geographic region. That data would be submitted quarterly. Over a half century has passed since President John F. Kennedy signed the Equal Pay Act (EPA), which made it illegal for employers to pay unequal wages to men and women performing substantially the same job in the same workplace. However, as we memorialize the enactment of the Equal Pay Act and approach the 50th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the 60th anniversary of the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act, both which made it illegal to discriminate based on sex, race, color, religion, and national origin, the compensation gap still persists in this Commonwealth and nationwide. In this 21st Century, our daughters should not have to work the same job and be paid less than their male counterparts. Please join us in sponsoring this important legislation. Should you have any questions about this legislation, please contact Alex Pazuchanics in Rep. Molchany’s office via email at apazuchanics@pahouse.net or at (412) 343-2094 or Mason Lane in Rep. Sims’ office via email at mlane@pahouse.net or at (717) 382-8542. |
Introduced as HR818