AAUW has championed equal pay for women for years, and we've made progress with legislation like the 2009 Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. But Congress can do more to close the gender pay gap.
The Paycheck Fairness Act will be reintroduced on or before April 14, 2015 — Equal Pay Day. We need your voice to urge members of Congress to co-sponsor the Paycheck Fairness Act along with leaders like Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-MD). Join AAUW in helping Sen. Mikulski "raise hell" and make some meaningful changes for pay equity!
The gender pay gap is real, and it harms women and their families. Call on Congress to address discrimination and reaffirm the value of women's work. In the spirit of fairness, sign our petition urging your members of Congress to co-sponsor the Paycheck Fairness Act, a measure that will provide a long-overdue update to the Equal Pay Act of 1963 and help our country get closer to equal pay for women.
Dear (REP, SENATOR 1, SENATOR 2),
On behalf of the 170,000 bipartisan members and supporters of the American Association of University Women (AAUW), I urge you to co-sponsor the Paycheck Fairness Act (H.R. 377). The act has a strong history of support, having twice passed in the U.S. House of Representatives with bipartisan majorities in prior Congresses and falling just two votes shy of a Senate cloture vote in the 111th Congress. Both the House and Senate voted on (and failed to pass) the act during the 112th Congress. The same bill is being introduced this year. The measure provides a much-needed, first-ever update to the Equal Pay Act of 1963, bringing the law's principles and practices in line with our nation's other civil rights laws.
The Paycheck Fairness Act deters discrimination by strengthening penalties for equal pay violations and prohibiting retaliation against workers who inquire about employers' wage practices or disclose their own wages. It will also take meaningful steps to create incentives for employers to follow the law, empower women to negotiate for equal pay, and strengthen federal outreach and enforcement efforts on pay equity.
Without the Paycheck Fairness Act, women will continue to be silenced in the workplace and to struggle to make ends meet. With the Paycheck Fairness Act, women will be protected: Women workers will be able to talk about wages with co-workers without the fear of being fired.
Without access to information, women like Lilly Ledbetter can be discriminated against every day. Women and families are tired of waiting; it’s time to pass the Paycheck Fairness Act.
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