“Equal pay for equal work is a fundamental civil right in our society,” said Senator Kennedy (D-MA) today at the Senate committee hearing held to discuss the Fair Pay Restoration Act, legislation he has introduced in the Senate. Following his opening remarks, Sen. Kennedy, his colleagues on the Senate Heath, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, and others heard testimony from Lilly Ledbetter, whose personal story of pay discrimination sparked this important legislation. The committee also heard from Margot Dorfman, C.E.O. of the U.S. Women’s Chamber of Commerce; Samuel Bagenstos, professor of civil rights litigation and Associate Dean of the Washington University School of Law; and Eric Dreiband, former General Counsel of the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
Ledbetter gave particularly moving testimony during today's hearing. As she called for passage of the bill, she stated, “Goodyear may never have to pay me what it cheated me out of. But if this bill passes, I’ll have an even richer reward because I’ll know that my daughters and granddaughters, and all workers, will get a better deal. That’s what makes this fight worth fighting and it’s what makes this fight one we have to win.”
This legislation will soon be in the hands of your senators, who need to hear from you to ensure that this is a fight we will win. Contact them now.
1 comment:
What right do we really have Sen. Kennedy? We have the right to valuate our own skills and demand that someone pay us what we are worth. They have a right to offer us less. It is up to us not to undervalue our own skills. Part of better pay is learning to negotiate for better pay instead of blaming it on some unseen bogey man called discrimination. Everyone is responsible for getting what they are worth. Those that prove themselves AND demand what they are worth, are rewarded, regardless of race or gender.
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