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Hillary Clinton Campaign Press Release - Clinton Joins FL Legislators Calling for Closing Wage Gap on Equal Pay Day

April 24, 2007

Florida Women Earn Only 81 Cents for Equal Work

Hillary Clinton celebrates Equal Pay Day today, addressing a rally of equal pay supporters later this afternoon and joining Florida state legislators calling for Congress to pass her Paycheck Fairness Act. Clinton's campaign is also launching an Equal Pay "tool kit" on her website aimed at highlighting the wage discrepancy.

"It is high time we insisted that women receive equal pay for equal work in this country," Clinton said. "We have dispelled any notion that women aren't up to the task, yet millions of capable women are still being underpaid solely because of their gender, and it's time to put a stop to it."

Women in Florida make only 81 cents for every dollar a man makes for equal work, costing them hundreds of thousands of dollars over the course of their careers and affecting their abilities to raise a family. According to the Institute on Women's Policy Research (IWPR), 24 percent of women in Florida lack health insurance and 12 percent live below the poverty line.

"Forty years after the passage of the Equal Pay Act, it is unbelievable that the disparity between men's and women's wages remains so significant," said Florida State Senator Nan Rich. "This wage gap affects the quality of life of women -- and families -- throughout Florida. I commend Senator Clinton's efforts with the Paycheck Fairness Act to remedy this injustice."

Last month Hillary introduced the Paycheck Fairness Act, which would create a training program to help women strengthen their negotiation skills, enforce equal pay laws for federal contractors and require the Department of Labor to work with employers to eliminate pay disparities. The bill would also prohibit employers from retaliating against employees who share salary information with their co-workers and allow women to sue for punitive damages in addition to compensatory damages now available under the Equal Pay Act.

The wage gap is even wider among women of color. African American women earn 72 cents on the dollar while Latinas earn just 59 cents. While the pay gap has remained virtually unchanged since 2001, the IWPR says the wage gap costs working women's families about $4,000 each per year. Studies show women are eight times less likely to negotiate their starting salaries than men, costing them hundreds of thousands of dollars over the course of their lifetime.

"Today, Equal Pay Day, we recognize this distressing gap and the impact it has on our families. Working women -- our neighbors -- do not get a discount on essentials for their families, costs like food, rent, healthcare or education," said Florida Arthenia Joyner. "Senator Clinton is taking a leadership role in addressing this issue in Congress, and I urge others to support her."

Hillary Clinton, Hillary Clinton Campaign Press Release - Clinton Joins FL Legislators Calling for Closing Wage Gap on Equal Pay Day Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/293005

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