(Long Island, NY) In response to widespread discrepancies – both nationally and in New York State – between the wages of men and women whose jobs entail comparable duties, Assemblyman Edward Hennessey (D-Medford) announced he helped pass a legislative package to once and for all end wage discrimination.
“It’s simply unacceptable that in this day and age we have to even debate pay equity,” Assemblyman Hennessey said. “It’s disgraceful that women are paid less for the same work. If it becomes law, the legislation passed today would bring an end to this inequality for good.”
Specifically, the Assembly legislation would make it easier to enforce equal pay regulations and create a state policy to determine and define “comparable work.” Additionally, the legislation would:
- enact the New York State Fair Pay Act to address and enforce pay equity, including broadening equal pay protections to include equivalent jobs, making it unlawful for an employer to discriminate between employees on the basis of gender, race or national origin and ensuring that traditional female and minority jobs are not undervalued (A.5958);
- establish state policy that local political subdivisions ensure equal pay for work of comparable value regardless of sex, race or national origin (A.1729);
- implement a state policy that compensates employees in state service equally for work of comparable value by eliminating wage inequality for workers due to sex, race or national origin (A.753); and
- design and publish a report evaluating wage disparities of public employees related to job titles, segregated by the gender, race and/or national origin of employees (A.881).
“Pay equity will benefit not only the women, but also the families that rely on those salaries,” Assemblyman Hennessey said.
Women in New York make 84 cents for every dollar men earn, creating a substantial yearly pay gap of roughly $8,275 between men and women working full time in New York State. Minority women tend to fare even worse nationally, with African-American and Latina women receiving 64 cents and 55 cents, respectively, for every dollar paid to white, non-Hispanic men.
Every year, full-time working women in New York are paid nearly $23 billion less their male counterparts. The inequity is compounded among the over 1 million households headed by women, Assemblyman Hennessey noted. Translated to household costs, the money lost by an average woman in New York would pay for 63 more weeks of groceries; four more months of mortgage and utilities payments; eight more months of rent; or 2,116 additional gallons of gas each year.
“Women in New York are at an extreme disadvantage and minority women fare even worse,” Assemblyman Hennessey said. “I urge the Senate to join us in advancing this package and bring pay equity to New York State.
