Supporting Equality in California

Dear Friends -

Forgive the mass e-mail, but time is of the essence!

I write to seek your support of AB 169 (Oropeza).

A number of organizations, including the California Commission for
Women, support AB 169 (Enforcement of Equal Pay) and SJR 7
(Designation of Equal Pay Day). I hope you, and the organizations
you are affiliated with, will too!

Many thanks for your consideration, and for spreading the word to
your friends and colleagues who support "Equal Pay for Equal Work."

Women are 51% of the population, and 54% of the vote!

In appreciation,

Elena Ong

April 19th was Equal Pay Day & 60 million working women still don't
have equal pay!
The Equal Pay Act was signed into law in 1963.

Nevertheless, women earn only 76 cents on the dollar for what a man
receives in a comparable job. African-American women earn only 71%,
Latinas 59% and Asian Pacific American Women 86%, of what the
average man earns.

What does this mean?

It means that women have 24% less than men to spend on their
education, career growth, savings, housing, childcare and
retirement. It means that women, who outlive men by 2-5 years, will
be expected to live longer on less. It means that if Social
Security is privatized, women without another stream of income or
assets, will not have the security of a safety net to retire on. It
means that if women are expected to switch from a defined benefit
retirement plan to a defined contribution retirement plan, a woman's
return on her investment will be far less than a man's, because she
has 24% less than a man to contribute towards her retirement.

Unequal pay perpetuates inequality. Unequal pay has a negative
impact on California's economic and social dual-bottom line,

Annually, America's working families lose $200 billion of income
because of the wage gap.

Over the course of a woman's lifetime, she, as an individual, stands
to lose half a million dollars because of unequal pay.

Despite the persistance of pay inequity, the U.S. Department of
Labor ended it's collection of payroll data on April 18th.

That's why we need to thank State Senator Debra Bowen for
championing SJR 7 which designates April 19th as Equal Pay Day. SJR
7 urges Congress to protect the rights of all American women to
receive equal pay, and to continue to provide remedies to victims of
sex discrimination. To view the bill, and the floor vote (passed
Senate 30-0; passed Assembly 69-0), click on:

http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/pub/bill/sen/sb_0001-
0050/sjr_7_bill_20050421_amended_asm.html,

http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/pub/bill/sen/sb_0001-
0050/sjr_7_vote_20050407_1028AM_sen_floor.html,

http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/pub/bill/sen/sb_0001-
0050/sjr_7_vote_20050421_1158AM_asm_floor.html

That's also why we need to support U.S. Senator Hillary Clinton and
Congresswoman Rose de Lauro for re-introducing THE PAYCHECK FAIRNESS
ACT on April 19th. They were joined by U.S. Senator Tom Harkin and
Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Horton who sponsored the FAIR PAY ACT.

UNEQUAL PAY IS UNFAIR TO WOMEN & THEIR FAMILIES!

What You Can Do


1. WRITE A LETTER TO SUPPORT AB 169 BY APRIL 26 & MAY 9

AB 169 would amend Section 1197.5 of the Labor Code to increase the
amount of damages due an aggrieved employee and mandate the types of
damages those employees should recover if successful in bringing a
civil action against their employer. AB 169 would require that 25%
of civil penalties recovered by the aggrieved employee go to the
aggrieved employee and 75% of civil penalties go to the Division of
Labor Standards Enforcement for continued education and enforcement.

The text of AB 169 is available at
http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/pub/bill/asm/ab_0151-
0200/ab_169_bill_20050330_amended_asm.html

Fax support letters to Assemblywoman Oropeza at (916) 319-2155 and
Assembly Appropriations Committee by 4/26, at (916) 319-2181.
Include your name, your organization's name, mission, size and
address, and the following statement: "I support AB 169." If you
need additional information re: AB 169, contact Olivia Calderon of
Assemblywoman Oropeza's office at 916-319-2055 or
olivia.calderon [at] asm.ca.gov. The bill is expected to be heard in
Appropriations on April 27th and eligible to be heard on the
Assembly Floor the week of May 9th.

2. OPPOSE THE PRIVITIZATION OF SOCIAL SECURITY ON APRIL 26 & MAY
10:


Participate in "Hands Off My Social Security!" Day on April 26

Americans United to Protect Social Security is leading a national
day of action against privatization. Rallies and other events are
planned in over 30 states, including the District of Columbia. This
date marks the culmination of the 60-day national tour to promote
privatization of social security, and coincides with the Senate
Finance Committee's first hearing on Social Security. For more
information about these rallies, including locations, times, and
contact information, visit http://www.americansforsocialsecurity.com.

Participate in "Women and Social Security" Day on May 10


The National Council of Women's Organizations (NCWO) will be working
with women members of Congress to highlight the importance of Social
Security for women and discuss how proposed plans to privatize the
system would significantly affect women. An all-day meeting is
expected to take place on Tuesday, May 10, 2005, on Capitol Hill. In
coordination with this Congressional event, NCWO will host local
events at various locations in several states on the days before and
after May 10. The NCWO Task Force on Women and Social Security will
have more information on all of these activities available shortly.
Visit http://womenandsocialsecurity.org for more info.

3. SUPPORT THE FAIR PAY ACT & THE PAYCHECK FAIRNESS ACT:

Contact your US Senators and US Representative and seek their
support of The Fair Pay Act and the Paycheck Fairness Act. Write
them at: http://www.house.gov/writerep/.

For more information about Equal Pay, visit the National Committee
on Pay Equity: http://www.pay-equity.org/

Encourage people to visit the Working Women network at
http://www.unionvoice.org/aflcio_workingwomen. Union women earn 34% more
than non-union women. Union membership raises wages and narrows the
wage gap between men and women.

I greatly appreciate your consideration and support of AB 169
(Oropeza) by 4/26 and the Paycheck Fairness Act (Clinton/De Lauro)
by 4/26.

Sincerely,

ELENA ONG
(FYI, the California Commission for Women supports SJR 7 and AB
169).


AB 169 (Oropeza)
Paycheck Fairness
PURPOSE

Today, women working full-time, year-round earn only 76 cents for
every dollar earned by men. In 2000, the median earnings of women
were $27,352 compared to $37,339 for men. Women of color fare
significantly worse. An earnings gap exists between women and men
across a wide spectrum of occupations. And, if working women earned
the same as men (who work the same number of hours, have the same
education, age, and union status and live in the same region of the
country) these women's annual family income would increase by $4,000
and poverty rates would be cut in half.


Women's earnings show that there exists an inexplicable wage gap of
approximately 20 percent, even after taking into account work
experience, education, occupation, industry of current employment,
and other demographic and job characteristics.


Women should be protected from this wage discrimination occurring in
our state. No employer should pay any individual employee less than
the rates paid to employees of the opposite sex in the same
institution for equal work. Too often equal work, which requires job
performance of equal skill, effort, and responsibility, is not
compensated with equal pay. Existing law prohibits employers from
engaging in this unfair practice.


In order for California to continue its status as one of the
nation's most highly skilled workforces, it must be vigilant in the
protection of its workers.


BILL SUMMARY


AB 169 would further impose penalties on employers who violate this
provision, subjecting them to civil action and specifying damages
that may be paid to employees who are paid unfairly in violation of
existing law.



AB 169 amends Section 1197.5 of the Labor Code to strengthen
individuals' private right of action to recover costs of pay
discrimination.



The bill would increase the amount of damages due to employees who
are paid unfairly in violation of existing law.



It would also mandate the types of damages those employees should
recover if successful in bringing a civil action against their
employer. The recovered damages would be equal to two times the
balance of the wages due to the employee if it is determined that
the employer violated the law or four times the balance of wages due
if it is determined that the employer willfully violated the law.



AB 169 requires 75% of the penalty be used to educate employers and
employees of their rights under section 1197.5

SUPPORTERS INCLUDE (Partial List)

American Civil Liberties Union
American Federation of Television and Radio Artists
CA Commission for Women
CA Conference Board of the Amalgamated Transit Union
CA Conference of Machinist
CA Correctional Supervisors Organization
CA Independent Public Employees Legislative Council
CA Labor Federation
CA National Organization for Women
CA School Employees Association
CA State Employee Association
CA Teamsters
Engineers and Scientist of CA
Lamda Letters Project
Older Women's League of California
Private Educational Network
Professional & Technical Engineers, Local 21
Region 8 State Council of the United Food & Commercial Workers
Restaurant Employers International Union
Strategic Committee of Public Employees, Laborers' International
Union of North America
UNITE & HERE: Union of Needletrades, Textile, and Industrial
Employees, Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees International
Union