Paycheck Fairness Act Update

AAUW Condemns Today's Procedural Defeat of the Paycheck  Fairness Act Senate Misses Opportunity to Take a Bite Out of  the Pay Gap WASHINGTON -- The American Association of University Women  (AAUW) sharply criticized today's procedural defeat of the Paycheck  Fairness Act by a 58-41 vote in the U.S. Senate. The Senate's  rejection of the bill comes despite widespread support of the  legislation from the White House and ordinary Americans  committed to basic fairness and equality. "This was a missed opportunity to make history and jump start real  economic change for American women and their families," said  AAUW Executive Director Linda D. Hallman, CAE. "While the  Senate's action is difficult to comprehend given the stark reality that  most families depend on the paychecks of women, our effort to  close the pay gap is far from over." On average, women still make only 77 cents for every dollar men  earn. By some estimates women could lose between $500,000  and $1 million over a 40-year career. In higher-paying fields, such  as law, the wage gap can result in even greater lifetime losses.  AAUW's report Behind the Pay Gap controlled for factors known  to affect earnings such as education and training, parenthood,  and hours worked and found that college-educated women still  earn less than men --- despite the same major and occupation  as their male counterparts. "What's especially frustrating is that this critical bill became a  victim of arcane Senate rules," said Lisa Maatz, AAUW director  of public policy and government relations. "This de facto filibuster  of fair pay by Senate Republicans ensured that we never got to  a debate on the bill's merits. Strategically, I can't blame them ---  they can't win a fair fight against pay equity." The Paycheck Fairness Act (S. 182/S. 3772) would have  updated the landmark Equal Pay Act of 1963 by closing loopholes,  strengthening incentives to prevent pay discrimination, and  prohibiting retaliation against workers who inquire about  employers' wage practices or disclose their own wages. "If we had just a few more senators voting with the courage of  their convictions, we'd be debating this bill rather than writing  its epitaph for the 111th Congress," Maatz continued. "While we  are deeply troubled by the vote, we know that we'll eventually win  this fight. AAUW stands on a rich, century-old tradition of advocacy.  Our members are not easily deterred and are deeply proud of our  history of accomplishments. AAUW has played a leading role in  some of the nation's most important public policy successes in  the areas of family friendly workplaces, education, and pay equity." AAUW is widely credited with keeping pay equity on the nation's  radar. Behind the Pay Gap redefined the debate on pay equity  and reenergized the drive to pass needed pay equity legislation.  This leadership helped to set the stage for the adoption of the  Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act in January 2009, the first bill signed  into law by President Barack Obama.                                                                          ### The American Association of University Women (AAUW)  advances equity for women and girls through advocacy,  education, philanthropy, and research. Since 1881, AAUW  has been one of the nation's leading voices promoting education  and equity for women and girls. AAUW has a nationwide network  of more than 100,000 members and donors, 1,000 branches, and  500 college/university institutional partners. Since AAUW's  founding 129 years ago, members have examined and taken  positions on the fundamental issues of the day --- educational,  social, economic, and political. AAUW's commitment to  educational equity is reflected in our public policy advocacy,  community programs, leadership development, conventions and  conferences, national partnerships, and international connections. [i] Polling data released this year by the Paycheck Fairness Act Coalition, of which AAUW is  a key leader, showed that 84 percent of voters supported fair pay in the workplace. [ii] AAUW. (April 23, 2007). Behind the Pay Gap.