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Congressman Cohen Votes for Workplace Equality

January 8, 2009


On April 22nd 2008, we commemorated the 35th anniversary of the signing of the landmark Equal Pay Act by President John F. Kennedy; however, we still have not achieved the goal of women’s equality in the workplace. Since my days in the Tennessee Senate, I have fought passionately to ensure that women receive equal pay for equal work. I strongly believe that these two pieces of legislation will help us make significant progress on that front.

When President Kennedy signed the Equal Pay Act, women were making just 59 cents on average for every dollar earned by men. Today – 35 years later – women only earn 78 cents on the dollar. That could mean a difference of $400,000 to $2 million over a lifetime of work. While women are being compensated more equitably now than they were in the Sixties; the income disparity between men and women in this country remains unacceptable.

Eliminating income disparities among men and women doing equal work is a common-sense issue that affects all working women and their families. As families struggle with the current economic crisis, it is more important than ever that working women get paid fairly and equally.

I was proud to cosponsor both of these bills when they passed the House last year, although they were defeated by President Bush and Senate Republicans. However, I am confident that these bills will soon become law with a strengthened majority in the Senate and President-elect Obama occupying the White House.

The Paycheck Fairness Act will strengthen the Equal Pay Act and close the loopholes that have allowed employers to avoid responsibility for discriminatory pay.

  • It gives women the same access to recover back pay and damages as victims of other types of pay discrimination;
  • It won’t allow courts to accept poor excuses for unfair pay practices;
    It will protect employees who discuss pay information from retaliation by their employers.

The Lilly Ledbetter Act is named for a woman who worked for nearly two decades at a Goodyear Tire and Rubber facility in Alabama. She sued the company when she learned that she was the lowest-paid supervisor at the plant, despite having more experience than several of her male counterparts. A jury found that her employer had unlawfully discriminated against her on the basis of sex. However, the Supreme Court said that Ledbetter had waited too long to sue for pay discrimination.

  • The legislation Congress will vote on this week restores the intent of the Equal Pay Act before the Supreme Court decision.
  • It keeps employers from being able to run out the clock by keeping discriminatory practices hidden.

You may view Congressman Cohen’s speech in support of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act from July 30, 2007, here: https://recap.fednet.net/archive/Buildasx.asp?sProxy=80_hflr073007_101.wmv&sTime=00:01:27.0&eTime=00:02:26&duration=00:00:57.0&UserName=maril&sExpire=1

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Contact:
Marilyn Dillihay, Press Secretary, 202-225-3265
Charlie Gerber, Communications Assistant, 202-225-3265