PRINTER'S NO. 1504
No. 136 Session of 1999
INTRODUCED BY ORIE, MANDERINO, FICHTER, BEBKO-JONES, WALKO,
BELFANTI, BUXTON, ARGALL, BARRAR, BELARDI, BISHOP,
CAPPABIANCA, COLAFELLA, CORRIGAN, COSTA, CURRY, DALLY,
DEMPSEY, FRANKEL, FREEMAN, GRUCELA, HABAY, HARHAI, HARHART,
HORSEY, JAMES, JOSEPHS, KAISER, LEDERER, MANN, McCALL, MUNDY,
YOUNGBLOOD, FEESE, DeLUCA, CARN, CIVERA, VAN HORNE, TIGUE,
YEWCIC, PESCI, PETRARCA, PIPPY, PISTELLA, PRESTON, RAYMOND,
READSHAW, RUFFING, SAINATO, SCHULER, SCRIMENTI, STABACK,
STEELMAN, STEVENSON, SURRA, TANGRETTI, E. Z. TAYLOR,
J. TAYLOR, TRAVAGLIO, WILLIAMS, ROBINSON, BOYES, LEVDANSKY,
SANTONI, L. I. COHEN, MASLAND, TULLI, CAWLEY, MICOZZIE, VEON,
CALTAGIRONE, STURLA, HERSHEY, LAUGHLIN, RAMOS, ROBERTS,
GANNON, MARKOSEK, STETLER, EVANS, TRICH, DeWEESE, GEORGE,
WOJNAROSKI, OLIVER, DAILEY, PETRONE, ROONEY, ROEBUCK, THOMAS,
MYERS, BROWNE, RUBLEY, GIGLIOTTI, BUNT, TRUE, ADOLPH, ALLEN,
BARD, BATTISTO, BENNINGHOFF, BLAUM, BUTKOVITZ, CASORIO,
M. COHEN, COY, DALEY, DERMODY, DONATUCCI, DRUCE, EACHUS,
GRUITZA, HALUSKA, HANNA, HENNESSEY, KELLER, KENNEY, LaGROTTA,
LAWLESS, LESCOVITZ, LUCYK, MAJOR, MARSICO, McGEEHAN, McGILL,
McNAUGHTON, MELIO, MICHLOVIC, NAILOR, NICKOL, O'BRIEN,
PLATTS, RIEGER, SAYLOR, SERAFINI, SEYFERT, SHANER, SOLOBAY,
STAIRS, TRELLO, VANCE, WASHINGTON, WILT, WOGAN AND YUDICHAK,
APRIL 15, 1999
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON RULES, APRIL 15, 1999
A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
1 Memorializing Congress to study the issue of workplace pay
2 disparity and the need to reexamine existing Federal laws
3 relating to that issue.
4 WHEREAS, Women work for pay in greater numbers, in more
5 occupations and for more years of their lives than ever before;
6 and
7 WHEREAS, The Equal Pay act of 1963 and Title VII of the Civil
8 Rights Act of 1964 provide a critical foundation for women
1 seeking greater opportunities in the workplace and a paycheck
2 free from stereotypes about the value of women's work; and
3 WHEREAS, Legislative efforts are currently under way on the
4 Federal level which call for enhanced enforcement of wage
5 discrimination laws as well as additional policy initiatives and
6 improved training for government agencies charged with enforcing
7 equal pay requirements under the law; and
8 WHEREAS, The issue of equal pay continues to resonate among
9 women in the 1990s, as illustrated by a 1994 survey conducted by
10 the Department of Labor, Women's Bureau, which found that
11 improving pay and benefits was one of working women's three main
12 priorities for change, along with balancing work and family and
13 gaining respect and opportunity on the job; and
14 WHEREAS, Despite the importance of women to today's economy,
15 women in the 1990s continue to earn less than men for work on
16 jobs that require equal skill, effort and responsibility and
17 that are performed under similar working conditions; and
18 WHEREAS, According to the Department of Labor and Industry,
19 Bureau of Research and Statistics, the trend of more women
20 entering the labor force in Pennsylvania will continue through
21 the year 2005, and women's share of the labor force will
22 continue to increase, exceeding 47%, as a larger proportion
23 looks for jobs; and
24 WHEREAS, The effect of wage disparity follows women
25 throughout their lives, since pension and Social Security
26 benefits are based on pay earned while working; and
27 WHEREAS, The existence of pay disparities depresses the wages
28 of working families who rely on the wages of all members of the
29 family to make ends meet, prevents the maximum utilization of
30 the available labor resources and violates the longstanding
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1 public policy of our country against wage discrimination; and
2 WHEREAS, There is still more ground to cover before the wage
3 gap between men's and women's wage is eliminated; and
4 WHEREAS, There is need for a comprehensive reexamination of
5 the role our government's laws play in the daily deterrence of
6 workplace wage discrimination and their effectiveness in
7 ensuring that women receive equal pay for work of equal value;
8 therefore be it
9 RESOLVED (the Senate concurring), that the General Assembly
10 of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania memorialize the Congress of
11 the United States to study the issue of workplace pay disparity
12 and laws relating thereto; and be it further
13 RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to
14 the presiding officers of each house of Congress and to each
15 member of Congress from Pennsylvania.
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