Senate to Vote Today on Bill to Guarantee Equal Pay for Women

The Senate will vote on legislation today cosponsored by U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow to ensure that women receive equal pay for equal work. The Paycheck Fairness Act would help reduce gender discrimination by empowering women to negotiate for equal pay, close loopholes courts have created in the law, and create strong incentives for employers to obey the laws by strengthening federal enforcement efforts.

"Women and their families deserve a fair shot to get ahead in life by making sure they are not discriminated against at work," said Stabenow. "Women, many of whom are breadwinners for their families, should not be asked to work a job that pays them less for doing the same work as their male counterparts. For thousands of families in Michigan, equal pay for equal work is about whether or not they have food on the table and a roof over their heads."

The Paycheck Fairness Act was blocked by Senate Republicans in April. Because of gender discrimination in pay, women in Michigan, on average, still earn only 74 cents on the dollar compared to men. Women nationally must work one year, three months and 8 days - more than three months into the current year - to earn the same amount a man earned during just the 12 months of 2013.