Assemblyman Al Stirpe (D-Cicero) announced that he helped pass an equal pay legislative package, including two bills that he sponsored that would end wage discrimination in New York State (A.1729, A.753).

“It’s simply unfair to pay women less for the same work,” Assemblyman Stirpe said. “I hope that my colleagues on both sides of the aisle will see the need for this legislation so that this can finally become law this year.”

Specifically, the Assembly legislation would make it easier to enforce equal pay regulations and create a state policy to determine and define “comparable work.” Additionally, the legislation would:

• enact the New York State Fair Pay Act to address and enforce pay equity, including broadening equal pay protections to include equivalent jobs, making it unlawful for an employer to discriminate between employees on the basis of gender, race or national origin, and ensuring that traditional female and minority jobs are not undervalued (A.5958);
• establish state policy that local political subdivisions ensure equal pay for work of comparable value regardless of sex, race or national origin (A.1729);
• implement a state policy that compensates employees in state service equally for work of comparable value by eliminating wage inequality for workers due to sex, race or national origin (A.753); and
• design and publish a report evaluating wage disparities of public employees related to job titles, segregated by the gender, race and/or national origin of employees (A.881).

“Despite the many advancements women have made in the workforce, women are still fighting for equal work and equal pay opportunities with men,” Ruth Kutz, a spokesperson for the Women’s Initiative Network said. “Pay discrimination affects women of all ages, races, and education levels. Women deserve full equality in the workplace and we applaud the Assembly for taking a step in the right direction by passing this fair pay package.”

As a group, full-time working women are paid nearly $23 billion less every year because of the wage gap. In Onondaga County there are over 24,000 households that are headed by women, making these disparities even more apparentⁱ , Assemblyman Stirpe noted. Specifically, if a woman in New York was paid equal pay for equal work, she could afford 63 more weeks of groceries; four more months of mortgage and utilities payments; or eight more months of rent.ⁱⁱ

i. www.factfinder2.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?src=bkmk

ii.