It’s an old story. Two people work the same job but one makes more money.
Back in 1941 President Roosevelt created a committee to do something about it. The Fair Employment Practices Committee was implemented, and it required companies with government contracts not to discriminate on the basis of race or religion. While such a measure was not very comprehensive--it said nothing of the private sector jobs who no doubt were often discriminatory--it was a good step. The problem was that the office was understaffed and had little budget to really do anything.
A few years later an attempt was made to give it some more teeth, to pass the Fair Employment Practices bill. There were many who fought it. At the time, writing in her April 30, 1945 “My Day” column, Eleanor Roosevelt said, “Many people have come to think of this bill as being of value only to certain minority groups. I think it is....equally vital to each and every one of us who are citizens of the United States. If we do not see that equal opportunity, equal justice and equal treatment are meted out to every citizen, the very basis on which this country can hope to survive with liberty and justice for all will be wiped away.”
The fight continues to this day. It is estimated that a woman in this country, during the course of her working life, will earn $431,000 less than a man in the same job. The figures show that full time women are paid only 78 cents for every dollar their male counterpart makes. Latinas make only 56 cents.
Whether people are making less money because of their skin color or their gender, the practice needs to stop. This is not a minority issue, or a woman’s issue. This is a fairness issue and a family issue. Often those being paid less are trying to support a family. By unfairly paying the breadwinner less than if she were a white male, a crime is being committed to children.
While we can hear from our religious traditions beatitudes praising the love and respect of children--”Suffer not the little children” echoes in my ears--sadly those in charge of commerce are not always guided by high-minded principles. So it is wonderful that President Obama and other elected leaders are championing the Paycheck Fairness Act. It seems like a no-brainer, voting for equality and giving hurting families the money they have worked hard for and earned. So why is it that Republicans are voting against it? Why, on April 9, 2014, did Republicans filibuster and block this bill?
Tomorrow the polls will be open in America. There are many things at stake this election, and many politicians right now would have us hear them talk about the future. Sometimes, though, we need to simply look at what our officials have done in the past to make our best decision for tomorrow.
"Sometimes, though, we need to simply look at what our officials have done in the past to make our best decision for tomorrow." Truth! My internship context in North Dakota is getting blasted with political rhetoric left and right (pun intended). I agree - a bill like this affects more than adults, and how tragic if children were not considered in the consequences.
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