WASHINGTON, D.C. – Sen. John Walsh, D-Mont., cosponsored the Paycheck Fairness Act on April 8.
The PFA expands upon the Equal Pay Act by closing loopholes employers have used to continue wage discrimination. Women in Montana make 67 cents for every dollar their male counterparts make, and the nationwide gap is 77 cents.
“It is unbelievable that at a time when women are outpacing men in the workforce and in higher education, they still face wage discrimination and are challenged if they try to correct the injustice,” Walsh said. “Equal work for equal pay is not a political issue, it’s a basic right that is owed to our workforce.”
The PFA increases incentives and tools employees can use during salary negotiations. The bill also makes critical investments in the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to further identify and respond to wage discrimination.
The Equal Pay Act was passed in 1963. In March, the state of Montana held the first annual Equal Pay Summit in Bozeman.
