PRINTER'S NO. 3757
No. 530 Session of 2002
INTRODUCED BY MANDERINO, ALLEN, BARD, BASTIAN, BEBKO-JONES,
BELARDI, BELFANTI, BISHOP, BROOKS, BROWNE, BUTKOVITZ, BUXTON,
CALTAGIRONE, CAPPELLI, CASORIO, L. I. COHEN, CORRIGAN, COSTA,
CREIGHTON, CRUZ, DeLUCA, DERMODY, DeWEESE, DONATUCCI,
D. EVANS, FAIRCHILD, FICHTER, FREEMAN, GABIG, GORDNER,
GRUCELA, HARHAI, HENNESSEY, HERSHEY, JAMES, JOSEPHS, KAISER,
KELLER, LAUGHLIN, LEDERER, LESCOVITZ, LEVDANSKY, MAJOR, MANN,
MARSICO, McCALL, McGEEHAN, McILHATTAN, MELIO, MUNDY,
PETRARCA, RAYMOND, READSHAW, ROBINSON, ROEBUCK, ROONEY,
RUBLEY, SAINATO, SANTONI, SATHER, SCRIMENTI, SHANER, SOLOBAY,
STABACK, STEELMAN, STERN, STETLER, STURLA, SURRA,
E. Z. TAYLOR, TIGUE, WALKO, WANSACZ, WASHINGTON, WATSON,
J. WILLIAMS, WILT, WOJNAROSKI, G. WRIGHT, YOUNGBLOOD, CURRY,
FRANKEL, DALLY AND PALLONE, APRIL 29, 2002
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON INTERGOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS,
APRIL 29, 2002
A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
1 Memorializing Congress to study the issue of workplace pay
2 disparity and the need to reexamine existing Federal laws
3 relating to that issue.
4 WHEREAS, Women work for pay in greater numbers, in more
5 occupations and for more years of their lives than ever before;
6 and
7 WHEREAS, The Equal Pay Act of 1963 (Public Law 88-38, 77
8 Stat. 56) and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Public
9 Law 88-352, 78 Stat. 241) provide a critical foundation for
10 women seeking greater opportunities in the workplace and a
11 paycheck free from stereotypes about the value of women's work;
12 and
1 WHEREAS, Legislative efforts are currently under way on the
2 Federal level which call for enhanced enforcement of wage
3 discrimination laws as well as additional policy initiatives and
4 improved training for government agencies charged with enforcing
5 equal-pay requirements under the law; and
6 WHEREAS, The issue of equal-pay continues to resonate among
7 women in the 1990s, as illustrated by a 1994 survey conducted by
8 the Department of Labor, Women's Bureau, which found that
9 improving pay and benefits was one of working women's three main
10 priorities for change, along with balancing work and family and
11 gaining respect and opportunity on the job; and
12 WHEREAS, Despite the importance of women to today's economy,
13 women at the turn of the century continue to earn less than men
14 for work on jobs which require equal skill, effort and
15 responsibility and which are performed under similar working
16 conditions; and
17 WHEREAS, According to the Department of Labor and Industry,
18 Bureau of Research and Statistics, the trend of more women
19 entering the labor force in this Commonwealth will continue
20 through the year 2005; and women's share of the labor force will
21 continue to increase, exceeding 47%, as a larger proportion
22 looks for jobs; and
23 WHEREAS, The effect of wage disparity follows women
24 throughout their lives, since pension and Social Security
25 benefits are based on pay earned while working; and
26 WHEREAS, The existence of pay disparities depresses the wages
27 of working families who rely on the wages of all members of the
28 family to make ends meet, prevents the maximum utilization of
29 the available labor resources and violates the longstanding
30 public policy of our country against wage discrimination; and
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1 WHEREAS, There is still more ground to cover before the wage
2 gap between men's and women's wages is eliminated; and
3 WHEREAS, There is need for a comprehensive reexamination of
4 the role our government's laws play in the daily deterrence of
5 workplace wage discrimination and their effectiveness in
6 ensuring that women receive equal pay for work of equal value;
7 therefore be it
8 RESOLVED (the Senate concurring), that the General Assembly
9 of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania memorialize the Congress of
10 the United States to study the issue of workplace pay disparity
11 and laws relating thereto; and be it further
12 RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to
13 the presiding officers of each house of Congress and to each
14 member of Congress from Pennsylvania.
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