In a 250-177 vote, Congress has given the thumbs up for women, blacks, hispanics, (and I assume) other minorities to challenge and win lawsuits for pay discrimination based on gender, age, religion, disability, and/or race. You may remember Lilly Ledbetter--whom the bill's namesake stems from--who lost a lawsuit to Goodyear because her discrimination claim was not filed in a timely manner, According to the New York Times, the new bill establishes that:
"Each new paycheck is a violation of the law if it results from a discriminatory pay decision made in the past."
This is a victory worth celebrating as this is marks another advancement in the fight to close the wages gap. I am torn as to whether or not it could have come at a better time. On one hand, the economy is down and job loss and risk of is high, giving single moms living out of their parents' houses, older women who have an established savings, and educated, urbanized minorities a prime opportunity to speak up and make it out rich. On the other hand, the economy is down, job loss and the risk of job loss is high and employers have no way of defending themselves against such lawsuits forcing them to higher less women and/or pressuring them even more to outsource (see CIO article).
Still, raise a glass in victory, ladies.
[ NYTimes ]
I'm glad this law passed adding that phrase. Most people don't know what their co-workers are making. I certainly don't discuss my pay check with anyone else, so really how do I know if my pay is comparable to my male counterparts?
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