FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Jill
Ashton
July
14, 2016
MASSACHUSETTS HOUSE OF
REPRESENTATIVES PASSES UNANIMOUSLY MOST COMPREHENSIVE PAY EQUITY LEGISLATION IN
THE COUNTRY
BOSTON – On Thursday, July 14th,
the Massachusetts House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed H.4509, An Act
to Establish Pay Equity by a vote of 158-0.
Massachusetts was the first state
to pass an Equal Pay law in 1945 and members of the legislature have been
filing a bill since 1998 to fill gaps in this law. With today’s passage, the
Commonwealth can now celebrate passing the most comprehensive pay equity
legislation in the country. The bill aims to tackle the gender wage gap that
currently affects women in Massachusetts: on average, they make 82 cents to
every dollar their male counterparts earn – African American women earn 67
cents and Latina women earn 58 cent to their male counterparts.
The pay equity bill will help
address the gender wage gap by providing a more comprehensive definition of
comparable work – the most inclusive out of the 23 states in the United States
that have such a definition in their books. The bill allows employees to
discuss their salaries without the threat of retaliation from their employer
and bans the practice of requiring salary history on job applications before a
job offer is made. The bill also
encourages employers to evaluate their own pay practices and implement changes
to end pay disparities voluntarily.
These four components make the bill amenable to businesses and employees
alike.
The establishment of these
practices will help women in Massachusetts reach their true earnings potential
in the workplace and help lift women and families out of poverty. Overall, the
bill is good for women, good for families and good for business and the
economy.
“Today is a historic day in
Massachusetts and I would like to thank our legislative leaders in both the
House and the Senate for recognizing the importance of working towards closing
the gender wage gap. This bill supports working families, communities, and
companies by ensuring equal pay for women and men. It will make Massachusetts more competitive
in a global marketplace” said Victoria Budson, Chair of the Massachusetts
Commission on the Status of Women.
“The Women’s Bar Association (WBA)
of Massachusetts was proud to work as part of the Equal Pay Coalition to
advance this bill. The WBA is dedicated to the full and equal participation of
women in Massachusetts and this legislation brings us one step closer to
achieving equality in the workplace and economic security for women and
families across the Commonwealth,” said Kristin Shirahama, President of WBA.
“The Massachusetts Chapter of the
National Organization for Women (Mass NOW) is thrilled that Massachusetts is
leading on the critical issue of equal pay. We look forward to the day that
everyone who identifies as a woman around the country having as much equality
as we do in Massachusetts” says Sasha Goodfriend, Co-President of Mass NOW.
The bill now goes to a conference
committee to work out the differences between the House and Senate versions
before a final vote in both chambers.
###
The Equal Pay Coalition is a coalition
of non-profits, unions and other organizations hoping to eliminate the wage gap
for women and people of color and they have been working on passing this
legislation since the beginning of the 2015-2016 legislative session.
For more information about the
Equal Pay Coalition, please visit: www.maequalpaycoalition.com
