Good News: A Step Toward Pay Equity!

Via The Gavel:

House Passes the Paycheck Fairness Act

July 31st, 2008 by Jesse Lee

The House has just passed the Paycheck Fairness Act, H.R. 1338, by a vote of 247-178. Although the wage gap between men and women has narrowed since the passage of the landmark Equal Pay Act in 1963, gender-based wage discrimination remains a problem for women in the U.S. workforce. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, women only make 77 cents for every dollar earned by a man. The Institute of Women’s Policy Research found that this wage disparity will cost women anywhere from $400,000 to $2 million over a lifetime in lost wages. Furthermore, loopholes created by courts and weak sanctions in the law have allowed many employers to avoid liability for engaging in gender-based pay discrimination. The Paycheck Fairness Act, introduced by U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), will strengthen the Equal Pay Act and close the loopholes that have allowed employers to avoid responsibility for discriminatory pay.

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Wage Gap Blues

As we know, Wyoming women suffer the worst gender wage gap in the nation. But just in case you're raising a daughter who you hope to have better luck elsewhere when she graduates from college, think again.

According to a recent Economic Policy Institute report, recent women college graduates made, on average, $2.92 less than their male counterparts in 2007. Gee, makes the 44 cents difference in Wyo. sound like a bonus.

Check Feminist Daily News for more on this issue.
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Women and Housing in Teton County

Dear Readers,

We Cowgrrls are launching a series of themed posts discussing the housing crisis/issue in Teton County and how women are impacted. Check back frequently in the next several weeks for interviews, anecdotes, and opinions on this as yet undiscussed aspect of this very hot topic in our valley.

In the meantime, I wanted to pass the word that if any of you are having trouble paying your property taxes due to crazy increases, there is help. Check Rep. Keith Gingery's site for a full listing. He mentions specifically:

The legislature did pass the Property Tax Refund Program this past session that refunds ½ of your property tax bill if your income does not exceed 2/3 of the median gross income for Teton County. If you think you may be eligible, I would urge you to call our local county assessor, Cathy Toolson, (733-4960) and talk to her about these programs.

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Fair Pay Action Alert

This just in from the ACLU:

Don't Let Employers Get Away With Pay Discrimination

Last May, the Supreme Court ruled in Ledbetter v. Goodyear that employees who have suffered years of pay discrimination cannot have their day in court if they don’t discover the discrimination within 180 days of their employer’s initial discriminatory pay decision.

The Ledbetter decision not only reversed years of employment law, it also ignored the realities of a workplace. Often employees don’t know what their co-workers are paid. Further, expecting that they learn that information within the first 180 days of a pay decision is unreasonable. Unless Congress intervenes, companies will be able to discriminate for years and unjustly profit from paying women, minorities, the elderly, and people with disabilities, as long as it keeps the discrimination secret for a few months.

The U.S. House of Representatives has passed legislation to correct this problem, and to ensure employers do not profit from years of discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, and disability, simply because their employees were unaware of the discrimination for 180 days. The bill clarified this wage discrimination is not a one-time occurrence, but rather, that each discriminatory paycheck an employer issues represents an ongoing violation of the law.

A similar bill, the Fair Pay Restoration Act (S.1843), is now before the U.S. Senate. The time has come for the Senate to correct this wrong and let American workers keep their hard-earned dollars.

Click here to take action.

Talking about Women in Wyoming

I had a mixed reaction to this recent Cody Enterprise article about the gender-based wage gap in Wyoming. The article features comments from Equality Initiatives (EI) director Sarah Mikesell Growney of Cody.

I whole-heartedly support the mission of Equality Initiatives: "What's good for Wyoming's women is good for Wyoming's communities." And I'm thrilled that the organization is putting gender inequality into the news. However, EI's mainstream approach may neglect issues of importance to some of Wyoming's women.

For instance, Mikesell Growney says, "Equality Initiatives is thankful for the oil and gas industry," because they pay women high wages. I'm not sure aligning the organization with a problematic industry is the appropriate approach. While the oil and gas industry is a backbone of Wyoming's economy, women still have a right to challenge the industry to improve its environmental stewardship. EI could acknowledge the energy sector for its good pay for women without needing to be "thankful," which to my ears sounds like "ingratiated," a stance that may not sit well with all women.

I think the issue may be one of language and talking points. When Mikesell Growney says, “When a woman suffers, the child suffers, and when the child suffers, the community suffers," I'm not following the logic. Not all women have children. Childless women who suffer should still be supported. Although children's poverty is an indicator of a community's health, adult suffering is a worthy indicator also.

My hope is that EI will work to refine its messaging as it furthers its work in our communities. Using langauge that strives to be inclusive of all women and all women's perspectives is a tall order, for sure, yet a vital one.

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