House passes Fair Pay Acts

Some good news from Emily at RH Reality Check:

The House passed both the Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Act and the Paycheck Fairness Act, restoring and establishing basic protections for employees who are subject to wage discrimination. The Ledbetter Act repeals the 180 day requirement, while the Paycheck Fairness Act protects employees from retaliation by employers if they bring complaints and allows them to sue for compensatory and punitive damages. With news today that unemployment this month has hit 7.2%, a 16-year high, any protections for workers are welcome.

The Senate is expected to take up the equal pay legislation next week. House supporters of the legislation predicted that it could be among the first bills President-elect Obama signs into law.

Last year, the Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Act passed the House but was killed by a Filibuster in the Senate, although a majority of Senators supported it. It stands a much better chance this time. There’s a letter you can send your Senators (via an easy form) here.

For more background, read the RH Reality Check post, and also this post at Write Like She Talks.

Posted in Gender and the Economy, In the news