Massachusetts Women Losing $$$$

Republican Senator Scott Brown Opposes Paycheck Fairness

BOSTON – Women deserve equal pay for equal work, not 77 cents for every dollar a man earns doing the same job, said consumer advocate and U.S. Senate candidate Elizabeth Warren. Today she called on Congress to act now to pass the Paycheck Fairness Act. Republican Scott Brown's office confirmed yesterday that Brown would once again vote against the Paycheck Fairness Act in the Senate.

"Across the nation, women earn 77 cents for every dollar a man earns, and over their careers, that means they take home hundreds of thousands of dollars less than men. Here in Massachusetts, women earn 81 cents for every dollar a man earns. While that's better than the national average, that's not good enough" said Warren. "Women deserve equal pay for equal work – especially now, when women are the sole breadwinner or the co-breadwinner of so many families."

According to the National Partnership for Women and Families, the average woman in Massachusetts who works full time takes home $46,213 per year, while the average man in Massachusetts makes $56,959 per year. That's an annual gap of $10,746 between men and women who work full time.

"At a time when the economy is still hurting, women are essential to making sure working families in this Commonwealth and across the country can get by," Warren said. "Unfair pay – especially for single-parent households – makes it even harder for these families to stay afloat."

The Paycheck Fairness Act amends the Equal Pay Act of 1963, to decrease the gender wage gap and achieve the promise of equal pay for equal work. The Paycheck Fairness Act ensures that wage rate differentials are a result of relevant job-related factors like education, training, or experience, rather than sex. It increases protection against retaliation and strengthens enforcement mechanisms. In addition, it improves data collection, authorizes training programs, and requires the creation of assistance programs to help small businesses.

The Paycheck Fairness Act, introduced in the Senate by Senator Barbara Mikulski (D-MD), currently has 35 co-sponsors. Republican Senator Scott Brown voted against the Paycheck Fairness Act in 2010.

"With his vote, Scott Brown is telling the women of Massachusetts he thinks it's okay that they continue to earn less than men with the same education doing the same work. His vote is costing Massachusetts families hard earned dollars that they can't afford to lose in these tough times," Warren said.