Senate passes measure - fight wage bias
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| Fri, 01-23-2009 - 11:55am |
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/397195_senate23.html
Senate passes measure that would fight wage bias
Last updated January 22, 2009 8:57 p.m. PT
By JIM ABRAMS
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
WASHINGTON -- A wage discrimination bill that heralds the pro-labor policies of the Democratic-controlled Congress and White House cleared the Senate Thursday and could be on President Barack Obama's desk within days.
The legislation would reverse a 2007 Supreme Court ruling that narrowly defines the period during which a worker can file a claim of wage discrimination, even if the worker is unaware for months or years that he or she is getting less than colleagues doing the same job. It has been a priority for women's groups seeking to narrow the wage gap between men and women.
The House is expected to act quickly to again approve the measure, sending it to Obama for his signature. The House passed a nearly identical version two weeks ago but then combined it with another bill that the Senate didn't consider.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid predicted that "the first bill that President Obama will sign will be this piece of legislation." He said the bill would send an important message because "this administration stands for equality and fairness."
Obama strongly backs the measure and invited Lilly Ledbetter, the retired Alabama tire company worker whose lawsuit inspired the legislation, to accompany him on the train trip bringing him to Washington for the inauguration.
Former President George W. Bush threatened to veto the bill when it came up in the past, and last year it died in the Senate.
The vote was 61-36. Republicans demanded that the bill hit a 60-vote threshold for passage as a condition for moving on the legislation.
The House approved the legislation during the first week of the new session of Congress, signaling that labor rights bills that made little headway during the Bush administration will be at the top of the agenda this year.
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How many companies look favourably upon employees sharing pay information? I've worked at places you'd be fired if discussing what you were paid.
This is a good article.......
House Approves Bills To Fight Gender Wage Gap
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=99136650
How many companies look favourably upon employees sharing pay information? I've worked at places you'd be fired if discussing what you were paid.
No kidding!
I'm sure that some will say it's because she 'takes time off to have children', but that's hogwash.
I wasn't referring to a class of women as a whole.
How many women do you know who claim to do less than their male counterparts? Everyone is a victim, and everyone suffers from oppression. We have become a nation of victims.
That said, I don't mind increasing the time to file a complaint. My concern is more that a complaint be based on reality, not some woman's claim to work harder than men.
Women as a group make different life decisions than men. This results in lower pay for women collectively.
Amen!
I think that it is important for every company to have wage scales by job description and to have a range within those categories to work with - for employees who have little experience to those who have experience and have a proven track record of success.
I dont think that every employee should make the same amount of money - that is unfair to those who have earned their salary raises AND can be a demotivator.
If the salary is determined by bias - whether gender or race or religion - that is a different story and hard to prove.
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