Paycheck Fairness Act

Support the Paycheck Fairness Act

This week, the House of Representatives is expected to vote on the Paycheck Fairness Act. This bill would update and strengthen the Equal Pay Act of 1963, closing loopholes and improving the law's effectiveness.

The Paycheck Fairness Act marks a critical step toward closing the wage gap between men and women. Please urge Congress to support the Paycheck Fairness Act by emailing your Representative today.

Sample Letter for Campaign

Subject: Support the Paycheck Fairness Act

Dear [ Decision Maker ] ,

As your constituent, I urge you to support the Paycheck Fairness Act (H.R. 1338) when this critical legislation comes to the floor for a vote. I also urge you to vote against any motion to recommit and any other attempts to weaken this bill.

The Paycheck Fairness Act would deter wage discrimination by closing loopholes in the law and barring retaliation against workers who disclose their wages. The bill strengthens the Equal Pay Act to ensure that it provides effective protection against sex-based pay discrimination. Toward that end, it also allows women to receive the same remedies for pay discrimination that are currently available to those subject to discrimination based on race and national origin. I urge you to strongly oppose any effort to place artificial limits on those remedies, as well as any other attempt to weaken the core protections of this bill.

The wage gap has real consequences. With a record 70 million women in the workforce, wage discrimination hurts the majority of American families, both in terms of their economic security today and their retirement security tomorrow.

Again, I urge you to vote for the Paycheck Fairness Act when it comes to the floor. Thank you for your attention to this matter. I look forward to your response.

Sincerely,

Campaign Launched:
July 28, 2008

Background Information

The House is expected to vote this week on the Paycheck Fairness Act (H.R. 1338). We have a critical opportunity to urge Congress to make real progress on pay equity. Even if you have contacted your Representative about this legislation in the past, we ask you to again urge your representative to support this legislation and oppose any attempts to weaken it.

The Paycheck Fairness Act would update and strengthen the Equal Pay Act of 1963, closing loopholes and improving the law's effectiveness. The Paycheck Fairness Act would deter wage discrimination by strengthening penalties for equal pay violations and prohibiting retaliation against workers who inquire about employers' wage practices or disclose their own wages. The bill also requires employers to show that wage gaps are truly a result of factors other than sex and to collect better data on wages. It also reinstates activities that promote equal pay at the Department of Labor and develops training for women and girls on salary negotiations. The bill's measured approach does not impose arbitrary caps on damages, which would only further penalize women who are victims of pay discrimination.

Women on average continue to earn only 77 cents on the dollar to their male counterparts. With a record 70 million women in the workforce, wage discrimination hurts the majority of American families. In addition, wage discrimination lowers total lifetime earnings, reducing women's benefits from Social Security and pension plans and inhibiting their ability to save not only for retirement but for other lifetime goals such as buying a home and paying for a college education.

A positive vote on the Paycheck Fairness Act is a critical step forward in our goal to close the persistent and sizable wage gaps between men and women. Urge your representative to support the Paycheck Fairness Act.