Compared to tax rate cuts, equal pay clearly provides more economic benefit to working families and has a better potential of increasing consumer spending. Equal pay is the number one priority for women across the country. Existing equal pay laws are hard to enforce and don t help employees doing equivalent work in different jobs. Equal pay is a pragmatic step to help working families become economically self-sufficient and reduce the need for government assistance. Nationally, African-Americans have nearly the same wage gap and Latinos earn even less compared to their white counterparts.
Equal pay is a critical component.
According to the National Committee on Pay Equity, nearly 40 percent of poor working women could leave welfare programs if they were to receive equal pay. Women s Voices 2000 poll, most adults are convinced that wage discrimination exists, and they strongly support a remedy. Wages should be based on the work to be done, not on the person who holds the job. That s the American way. But that is not the way it is.