Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) released the following statement ahead of the 55th anniversary of the Equal Pay Act of 1963 on June 10, 2018. A coalition of equal pay groups are recognizing June 7, 2018 as a day of action this year.
“Fifty-five years after President Kennedy signed the Equal Pay Act, gender wage discrimination still exists in the workplace. Although we’ve made progress over the years to narrow the gap, we still have a lot of work to do. The disparity, which is far worse for women of color, continues to hamper the economic security of women and their ability to help provide for their families. On the anniversary of the Equal Pay Act, I reaffirm my commitment to fighting for equal rights so that no woman is paid less for equal work.”
BACKGROUND
Cortez Masto is a cosponsor of the Paycheck Fairness Act, a bill that would require employers to demonstrate that pay disparities between equally placed men and women in the same position are not sex-based. It would prohibit employers from retaliating against employees who discuss salary information with their coworkers and would allow women to join together in class-action lawsuits to fight pay discrimination.
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