For the week ending April 16th
EQUAL PAY FOR WOMEN: Voting 217 for and 210 against, the House on April 15 passed a bill (HR 7) to tighten current federal law against gender-based wage discrimination and prevent employers from paying women less than men for equivalent work. Sponsors of the bill said full-time female workers receive 82 cents for every dollar paid to male counterparts. The legislation would prohibit wage discrimination based on gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, pregnancy or childbirth.
Employers challenged in court would have to show that wage disparities are based on factors other than sex — such as education, training or experience — and are a business necessity. Civil penalties would be increased, punitive and compensatory damages would no longer be capped, class action lawsuits would be facilitated and retaliation would be prohibited against workers disclosing pay information or making inquiries or complaints. Salary history could not be used in the hiring process or in setting pay levels, so that pay gaps would not follow workers from one job to the next. Federal agencies would collect more pay information from employers.
A yes vote was to pass the bill.
YES: Teresa Leger Fernandez, D-3
NO: Yvette Herrell, R-2
SELF-POLICING BY EMPLOYERS: By a vote of 183 for and 244 against, the House rejected on April 15
a proposed amendment to HR 7 (above) that would have allowed employers accused of wage discrimination to avoid penalties if during the previous three years they had conducted a job and wage analysis and taken steps to remedy any disparities based on sex that the audit revealed. The amendment would allow employers to put ground rules on disclosure and discussion of wages. The Government Accountability Office would be directed to study causes and effects of wage disparities among men and women, disparities in negotiating skills among men and women and the extent to which decisions to leave the workforce for parenting reasons affect wages and opportunities.
A yes vote was to adopt the amendment.
YES: Herrell
NO: Leger Fernandez
PROTECTING HEALTH CARE WORKERS FROM VIOLENCE: Voting 254 for and 116 against, the House on April 16 passed a bill (HR 1195) to order new Occupational Safety and Health Administration rules protecting health care and social service employees from workplace violence. The bill’s Democratic sponsors said those workers need special protection because they are exposed to a particularly high risk of on-the-job violence from those they are working to assist. Opponents said the new rules would be rushed and overly rigid. OSHA would have a year to issue an interim standard and 42 months to complete the rulemaking process.
A yes vote was to pass the bill.
YES: Leger Fernandez
NO: Herrell
HOUSE: Deb Haaland (D) Ben Ray Luján (D) Yvette Herrell (R)
SENATE: Martin Heinrich (D) Tom Udall (D)
Contact your legislators at the U.S. Capitol
Zip codes: House 20515, Senate 20510
Capitol operator: (202) 224-3121