Any labor law protection for people doing the same work for less pay?

[TwixVoy]

I am wondering - does anyone know if there is any kind of legal protection for people doing the same work as someone else but not getting paid the same?

The retailer I work for has decided to get even MORE cheap on wages.... (I didn't think it was possible to go any lower, but they've found a way) Basically the company has created a new position company wide that I can't possibly see as being equitable.

We have department managers. Department mangers get paid SIGNIFIGANTLY more than the lowest level non-management employees. Department managers also get much better benefits packages.

So now the company has created a new position and eliminated 50% of department managers. (well, that is still being phased in) They have just taken away the "manager" part of the title and called it something else.

So these people that are hired for this position do essentially the SAME work as department managers, except get paid much less and get no benefits. Now technically because they are not a manager *on paper* they are not allowed to write people up, directly supervise them, etc.... however, in reality and not on paper they DO. They work alternating shifts against the shifts of department managers and do exactly the same work... but they are getting paid much less.

Now this seems highly unethical to me. Isn't this set up some how illegal? I mean damn, how low can you push wages down and screw over hard working people before some kind of legal protection kicks in?