Letter to Chairman Davis - Labor and Employment, Equal Pay for Equal Work

Letter

Dear Chairman Davis,

I am writing to express my strong support for House Bill 1003. I commend Delegate Kris Valderrama and the bill's sponsors for their work on this critical legislation.

It is unacceptable that Maryland women earn on average 85.4 cents for every dollar earned by men in similar jobs. For women of color, the numbers are even lower. We need equal pay for equal work now.

The first bill that President Barack Obama signed into law was the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, which extended the time in which women could challenge unequal pay. At that time, he said, "in signing this bill today, I intend to send a clear message: That making our economy work means making sure it works for everyone. That there are no second class citizens in our workplaces, and that it's not just unfair and illegal -- but bad for business -- to pay someone less because of their gender, age, race, ethnicity, religion or disability."

Unfortunately, seven years later, we still have work to do. In Congress, I've included equal pay in Democratic budgets I've authored and in my Action Plan to Grow the Paychecks of All, Not Just the Wealthy Few. I am a cosponsor of the Paycheck Fairness Act, which would strengthen federal laws against wage discrimination. The Equal Pay for Equal Work legislation (HB 1003) that you have before your committee today would make similar changes to Maryland law. It clarifies prohibitions on disparate wages, prohibits employer retaliation against workers who share salary information, and closes loopholes that have allowed employers to avoid their responsibility for equal pay.

Equal pay for equal work is a fundamental principle for fairness, but we have to make sure that the principle is translated into action. By clarifying and strengthening the law, HB 1003 does that. I thank you for your attention to this issue, and strongly urge a favorable report.

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