Pelosi: Equal pay bill will be first of new House

[sabra]

Source: USA Today

USA TODAY's John Fritze listened in today on a conference call about the Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, and files this report:

A $775 billion economic stimulus plan may not be ready for President-elect Barack Obama to sign on "day one," but some congressional leaders hope the so-called Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act will be.

The Ledbetter law, which would require companies to pay equal compensation to men and women who perform the same work, will be the first legislation the House takes up in the new Congress. Votes are scheduled in the House for tomorrow.

"It is of the highest priority to us," House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif,, said on a conference call minutes ago. "It's very important because of what it means to the economic security of our country."

The Supreme Court denied Ledbetter's pay discrimination claim on the grounds that she waited too long to file it. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg invited Congress to fix the problem with the law, which it is now trying to do.

The bill faces a more difficult ride in the Senate, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce says it's too broad and is lobbying against it. But the Ledbetter bill has a key ally in Obama.


Read more: http://blogs.usatoday.com/onpolitics/2009/01/pelosi-equ...

[mikelgb]

1. yay, all the unemplyed women will get payed the same as the unemployed men

not to poo-poo this legislation but it seems odd as the number one top priority, IMO I think they should bundle this in the stimulus and pass it.

I am pleased however that the first bill won't be to fund the war

[Moosepoop]

5. Unemployed women just might consider that a good thing :)

I don't think the article is stating that this bill takes "top priority" over the stimulus bill, rather that this one has been in the works longer and is ready for action by Congress. The stimulus legislation isn't ready for voting on yet, is it?

Since the point of the Ledbetter Law would be to expand the timeframe for filing pay discrimination claims, it's a time-sensitive issue for many women with valid claims that could expire while waiting for this legislation to be bundled into something else.

If it's ready to be taken up, there's no reason to delay in doing so.

[Winterblues]

2. For the same work, I agree completely but to say for instance

that a data processor is somehow the same as an electrician or a maid is the same as a mechanic. Those I have problems with.

[BoMonster]

3. You may be missing the point

The fight has always been for "equal pay for equal work". As a husband of an extremely dedicated professional wife I am thrilled to see this getting done. It's been a long time coming.

bo

[Moosepoop]

9. Agreed 100%!

And welcome to DU!!!

[WriteDown]

4. I have some slight problems with this..

I have had women who I managed who had multiple children while employed. At the time, we offered 3 months maternity leave. It can really hamper your team when this happens. Its a fact of life though, so I've often wondered what is to be done.

[awoke_in_2003]

6. damn pesky women...

going around and having babies. The gall of them.

[WriteDown]

7. Ha....

Not so much. I'm just saying there is a financial impact in those situations. Especially when you have a team of 7 and 3 are out.

[Moosepoop]

11. The male members of your team were never absent?

Never an illness or injury? No vacations? Never a personal leave for any reason?
It was just the "women having multiple children" that made up all the absences from your team?

[WriteDown]

12. They were...

just not consistently. I had one guy who had wrist surgery, but was only out for a week and a half. We did offer paternity leave of 10 days. Not so much multiple women, but when you have a young team of married professionals, they tend to have children at the same time . I think the govt should offer a tax credit for women hired. It would offset some of the costs and would encourage hiring of women.

[Merlot]

14. What does that have to do with equal pay?

The fact that SOME women get pregnant means ALL women should be discriminated against? Huh?

What about women who don't/can't/won't have kids? And are those women who are doing the work and getting pregnant, are they employed in the same job as a man and getting paid less? That's the real issue.

The real concern here is that jobs will become two-tiered, to justify the discrimination.

[WriteDown]

15. Not at all...

I'm saying that in our current structure, young married women of a certain age can be a greater cost for an employer. That's it.

[AlbertCat]

10. Work

"data processor is somehow the same as an electrician or a maid is the same as a mechanic."

I remember seeing something on the boob tube where a journalist went sorta undercover to see if she could survive on minimum wage jobs. She had to get like 3 of them to afford her ratty efficiency in a scary neighborhood and all her "unskilled" labor jobs were HARD. At WalMart she had to work all night and know the location in the store and in the "back" where hundreds of items were....for a start. Her waitressing job was equally challenging having to know menus and specials and changing prices and stuff. Now, this is certainly not the same as knowing how to get the Challenger off the ground but it ain't a walk in the park. Her conclusion was there is no such thing as "unskilled" labor and sometimes a maid has things to do that an electrician couldn't handle.

[snooper2]

13. Unskilled labor is labor you should be able to train anyone to do

Anybody can walk off the street and be trained as a waitress or wal-fart stocker.....I worked at a plastics factory at one time and it was "very hard" work but not skilled- I was trained in my spot in about 15 minutes
( and all jobs should pay men/women the same when you start )

Different story if you need somebody who can troubleshoot SIP Signaling protocol ( skilled labor )

[Winterblues]

23. So major hotels should pay their maids electrician wages?

I am one hundred percent for equal pay for equal work. I just sometimes find it hard to relate to what some consider "equal"..There used to be a listing of what jobs usually done by women are equal to jobs usually done by men. I find it hard to relate to that listing is all I am saying. IMO a maid while very worthy work is in no way equal to an electrician which requires many different licenses and education. I could be wrong..

[Triana]

8. Do the right thing for Lilly Ledbetter.

https://act.credoaction.com/campaign/support_ledbetter/...

Women in the American workforce still make less money than their male
counterparts -- it's time for the discrimination to end.

Last year, the Senate failed to get the 60 votes necessary to force an
up-or-down vote on the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, which would mandate
that women receive equal pay for equal work. Now, with a new session of
Congress in place, we're ready to take up the fight again. The first step
is in the House, which is expected to vote on this crucial legislation in
the next forty-eight hours.

With President-elect Obama soon to take office, we now have a real chance
to pass this legislation that could do so much for so many American women.

There will be a battle in the Senate, and the best way to come out of the
gate strong is for the bill to pass by an overwhelming majority in the
House.

Lilly Ledbetter worked 19 years at Goodyear before she learned the men at
her level were earning far more. Eventually she sued, and the case went
all the way to the Supreme Court where five male justices ruled her claim
invalid because she filed it more than 180 days after the date when the
discrimination first started.

Lilly Ledbetter and women across the country are paid less
for doing the exact same jobs as men. The only difference between men and
women in the workplace is women bring home less money to take care of
their families -- and in an economy as shaky as ours, the last thing we
need is to make life even more difficult for 50% of the American
workforce.

Women across America are counting on Congress -- let Congress know that
you're watching to make sure they come through.

Click here to to tell your member of Congress to support the Lilly
Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. It's the first and crucial step in this year's
battle for equal pay -- a battle that, for the first time, we might
actually be able to win.

[Name removed]

16. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Moosepoop]

17. Pizza for lunch, anyone? n/t

[hughee99]

18. Wow...

You managed in your first post to go after women, unions, feminists, the reelection agenda. Enjoy your stay.

[Moosepoop]

19. Check the link in his profile...

You'll need more popcorn!

[AirmensMom]

20. I did ...

I think he's lost his way. How did he ever get here?

[Moosepoop]

21. Looks like he's been sent back home

Thanks, mods!

[420inTN]

22. So, men will be getting pay cuts now? thanks! lol n/t