Matsui Statement on Equal Pay Day

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, April 11, 2011

CONTACT: MARA LEE
(202) 225-7163

Matsui Statement on Equal Pay Day

Today, Congresswoman Doris Matsui (CA-05) recognized the importance of Equal Pay Day, a day which highlights the ongoing disparity of pay for females employees across the country, by releasing the following statement:

Each year, Equal Pay Day serves not just as a reminder of how far we have come in the struggle for equal pay between men and women, but of how much work is left to be done. In 1963 President John F. Kennedy signed the Equal Pay Act, ushering in new standards for the equality of men and women in the workplace. While it was a critical step toward eliminating pay discrimination, gender disparity unfortunately continues, and American women still earn less than their male counterparts.

That is why it is important that we continue to fight for gender equality in the workplace. During the last Congress, we took the important step of enacting the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, to ensure that those that employ gender disparity practices see their day in court. Today, I signed on once again as a cosponsor of the Paycheck Fairness Act, which will increase penalties for employers who pay different wages to men and women for equal work, and make it more difficult for employers to avoid Equal Pay Act liability.

Every year we get closer to the reality of equal pay for equal work for American women. Equal Pay Day provides us with the opportunity to recommit ourselves to this goal, and to this fight.

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