LANSING – Taking a stand along with groups fighting to end wage discrimination, State Representatives Judy Nerat (D-Wallace) and Steven Lindberg (D-Marquette) today supported a plan to create new legal avenues and provide tougher penalties for employers that engage in this practice. Lawmakers were joined by advocates of pay equity in recognition of Equal Pay Day.
"The salaries of our hard-working residents shouldn't be based on gender, they should be based on experience and merit," Nerat said. "This isn't just about women making less than men; it's about families losing out because a parent isn't bringing home the wages they truly deserve. It's time to stop this act of discrimination."
According to the American Association of University Women (AAUW), Michigan is ranked 44th in the nation for wage parity between men and women. Women working in Michigan are paid 71 cents for every $1 men make – a 29 percent pay gap. This puts Michigan far behind the national gender pay gap of 78 cents per dollar.
Last year, the State Senate blocked a similar House plan that would have established new penalties for wage discrimination and created new legal avenues to pursue those who discriminate and deprive employees of their right to wage fairness. Under the plan introduced today, failing to provide equal compensation for work of comparable value will be a violation of the state's Elliot-Larsen Civil Rights Act. Under the plan, gender-based pay discrimination would be a misdemeanor, with employers facing fines up to $2,000 or up to 90 days in jail for not complying. Employers guilty of a third violation would face fines up to $15,000.
House members intend to begin committee hearings on the legislation in the next couple of weeks.
"We'll be taking up this important issue in committee quickly," said Lindberg, Chair of the House Labor Committee. "No one should be a victim of wage discrimination in the workplace. With the toll that wage disparity takes on middle class families, it is too costly to ignore this issue."
Groups at the Capitol today included: the AAUW, Business and Professional Women, WomenWork!, National Organization for Women, Pay Equity Network, League of Women Voters, Michigan Women's Commission and others.