Equal Pay for Equal Work Act Introduced in Colorado State Senate
January 17, 2019
Denver, CO – The Equal Pay for Equal Work Act (SB19-085) was recently introduced in the Colorado State Senate. The bill, sponsored by Senators Jessie Danielson and Brittany Pettersen, would help close the wage gap between men and women and ensure that every Coloradan gets a fair shot at economic security.
“As a woman and a mother, this issue is deeply personal for me. I never want my daughter to enter the workforce with the kind of discrimination women face today,” said Senator Danielson. “Not only is this legislation the right thing to do, it is also necessary to grow our state’s economy and help Coloradans achieve financial security.”
“It’s time that we stop the perpetuation of injustice,” said Senator Pettersen. “Hardworking Coloradans deserve equal pay for equal work. This legislation is not only critical for women but for millennials who started their careers on unequal footing because of the Great Recession.”
Women in Colorado earn an average of 86 cents for every dollar men earn for the same work. But the pay gap is even more pronounced for women of color – Black and Latina women respectively earn 63.1 and 53.5 cents for every dollar men earn for the same work, according to the Women’s Foundation of Colorado. The result of this inequity compounds over a lifetime, with the average college-educated woman taking home more than one million dollars less in income, according to the Wage Project.
The Equal Pay for Equal Work Act would ensure that all qualified employees know about job opportunities when jobs are announced; require companies to disclose salary ranges for jobs so that employees can better advocate for what they deserve; and allow people who have been discriminated against to take action and hold “bad actors” – those irresponsible corporations and companies – accountable.
For more information about the specifics of the Equal Pay for Equal Work Act, please visit: https://leg.colorado.gov/bills/sb19-085.
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