Recognizing the significance of equal pay and the disparity in wages paid to Latina women in comparison to White, non-Hispanic men.

Bill: 118-hconres-131
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Leger Fernandez, Teresa [D-NM-3]
Introduced: 2024-09-25
Policy area: Labor and Employment
Latest action: action_date: 2024-09-25
text: Referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.

Summaries:

tv_txt: IV 118th CONGRESS 2d Session H. CON. RES. 131 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES September 25, 2024 Ms. Leger Fernandez (for herself, Ms. Barragán , Mr. Castro of Texas , Ms. Salinas , Ms. Garcia of Texas , Ms. Caraveo , Mr. Doggett , Ms. Sánchez , Mr. García of Illinois , Mr. Vargas , Ms. Castor of Florida , Mr. Costa , Ms. Escobar , Ms. Norton , Ms. Porter , Ms. Bonamici , Mr. Espaillat , Ms. Chu , Mr. Carbajal , Mr. Cleaver , Ms. DeLauro , Mr. Ruiz , Mrs. Ramirez , Mr. Carson , Mr. Gomez , Ms. Tlaib , Ms. Adams , Mr. Cárdenas , Mr. Correa , and Mr. Gottheimer ) submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce CONCURRENT RESOLUTION Recognizing the significance of equal pay and the disparity in wages paid to Latina women in comparison to White, non-Hispanic men.

Whereas October 3, 2024, is designated as Latina Equal Pay Day to observe the pay gap between Latina women and White, non-Hispanic men; Whereas, as of 2024, there are 13,907,000 Hispanic women in the labor force, representing slightly more than 17 percent of all women in the labor force; Whereas section 6(d) of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 ( 29 U.S.C. 206(d) ) (commonly known as the Equal Pay Act of 1963 ) prohibits discrimination in wages on the basis of sex for equal work; Whereas title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 ( 42 U.S.C. 2000e et seq. ) prohibits discrimination in compensation because of race, color, religion, national origin, or sex; Whereas, despite the passage of the Equal Pay Act of 1963 ( Public Law 88–38 ; 77 Stat. 56) more than 6 decades ago, which established that employers shall not discriminate in wages on the basis of sex, but shall provide equal pay for equal work, Bureau of the Census data show that Latina women working full-time and year-round are paid 58 cents for every dollar paid to White, non-Hispanic men, while the average wage differential for all Latina women with reported earnings working full-time, part-time, and part-year is 51 cents for every dollar paid to White, non-Hispanic men; Whereas an analysis by the National Partnership for Women & Families of data from the Bureau of the Census shows that disabled Latina women are paid 44 cents for every dollar paid to White, non-Hispanic, nondisabled men; Whereas the National Women’s Law Center has calculated that, on average, Latina women lose over $1,200,000 in potential earnings over a 40-year career to the wage gap; Whereas, at the rate observed in 2023, Latina women will not reach equal pay with White non-Hispanic men for 182 years after the date of enactment of this resolution; Whereas, in 2024, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Bureau of the Census reported the median annual pay for all Latina women in the United States working full-time, part-time, and part-year was $32,410, compared to the median annual pay of $63,210 for White, non-Hispanic men; Whereas lost wages mean Latina women have less money to support themselves and their families, save and invest for the future, and spend on goods and services; Whereas, approximately 51 percent of Latina women are unable to earn sick days through their jobs; Whereas the lack of access to affordable, quality child care, paid family and medical leave, and other family-friendly workplace policies forces many Latina women to choose between their paycheck or job and getting quality care for themselves or their family members, a dynamic that contributes to the wage gap; Whereas, if the annual wage gap were eliminated, on average, a Latina woman working full-time and year-round would have enough money to pay for nearly 3 years of childcare, 37 months of food, or more than 16 months of mortgage and utility payments; Whereas workplace harassment forces many women to leave their occupation or industry, or pass up opportunities for advancement, which contributes to the gender wage gap; Whereas targets of workplace harassment are 6.5 times as likely as nontargets to change jobs; Whereas there is a high personal cost for women who have been sexually harassed, including unemployment, under-employment, and financial stress resulting from changing jobs, which lead to long-term consequences for earnings and career attainment; Whereas, in 2023, nearly 70 percent of workers paid the minimum wage or less were women, and there was a disproportionate concentration of women of color in low-wage and tipped jobs; Whereas the pay disparity Latina women face is part of a wider set of disparities Latina women face in homeownership, unemployment, poverty, access to childcare, and the ability to build wealth; Whereas the underpayment of Latina women workers causes businesses and the economy to suffer; Whereas true pay equity requires a multifaceted strategy that addresses the gender and racial injustices that Latina women face daily; and Whereas many national organizations have designated October 3, 2024, as Latina Equal Pay Day to recognize the pay gap between Latina women and White, non-Hispanic men in the prior year: Now, therefore, be it

That Congress— (1) recognizes the disparity in wages paid to Latina women and the impact of that disparity on women, families, the economy, and the United States; and (2) reaffirms its support for ensuring equal pay and closing the gender wage gap.