Statement from Democratic Party of Wisconsin Chair on 53rd Anniversary of Equal Pay Act
"Sadly, here in Wisconsin we have seen right-wing Republicans fight tooth and nail against equal pay for equal work legislation."
MADISON – Democratic Party of Wisconsin Chair Martha Laning released the following statement on the 53rd anniversary of the Equal Pay Act:
“When Democratic President John F. Kennedy signed the Equal Pay Act into law 53 years ago, women received 60 cents on the dollar for doing the same job as a man. Today, that gap stands at 79 cents on the dollar. While we have made progress, there is still a great deal more work to be done to ensure that women always earn an equal day’s pay for an equal day’s work.
“Pay inequity doesn’t just affect women— it impacts every working family. Women are the sole or primary breadwinners in 40% of all households with children under the age of 18. If women were paid equally to men for comparable work, it would add $200 billion more to our national economy.
“Sadly, here in Wisconsin we have seen right-wing Republicans fight tooth and nail against equal pay for equal work legislation. Senator Ron Johnson voted against equal pay legislation five times, and Scott Walker and his Republican allies in the legislature even repealed Wisconsin’s Equal Pay Enforcement Act.
“Women deserve equal pay for equal work, plain and simple. Not only is this a question of fairness, but it is a critical step to improving incomes and jump starting our struggling state economy. Democratic leaders are working tirelessly to pass legislation that would help to close the wage gap once and for all. This fall we will have an opportunity to elect new leaders in Madison and Washington who will lead the fight to ensure that a woman always earns the same as a man when she does the same work.”
NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.
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