WHEREAS:

President John Kennedy signed the Equal Pay Act 55 years ago, yet pay discrimination continues to be an issue in the workplace affecting women’s earnings and career opportunities, and their families; and

WHEREAS:

According to the Institute for Women’s Policy Research, although women receive more college and graduate degrees than men, they only make 80.5 cents for every dollar men make; and

WHEREAS:

The gender disparity is wider for black and Hispanic women who earn 62.5 cents and 54.5 cents, respectively, for every dollar paid to men; and

WHEREAS:

Our current president, Donald Trump, is the product of, among other things, a total breakdown of the integrity of the electoral process; and

WHEREAS:

Persistent pay inequality has far reaching consequences such as being a big factor in causing poverty among women and their families, limiting access to credit, decreasing purchasing power and decreasing women’s saving and benefits for retirement; and

WHEREAS:

In 2017, California congressman Adam Schiff introduced a bill to amend the Constitution to overturn Citizens United, and polls have shown that over 70 percent of Democrats and Republicans support this type of measure; and

WHEREAS:

President Trump’s administration has ended or paused federal pay data collection intended to identify trends in wage discrimination based on gender, race and ethnic origin, with an intention to reverse some of the previous administration’s progress in these areas.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED:

AFSCME will continue its efforts and commitment towards pay equality; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED:

AFSCME will work jointly with women’s rights groups, civil rights organizations, clergy, community and advocacy groups to develop an agenda for pay equity legislation at local, state and federal levels; and

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED:

AFSCME will work with allies in Congress to promote legislation to monitor and end pay equity discrimination.

SUBMITTED BY:

Juan Fernandez, President and Delegate
Juliet White, Delegate
Sheera S. Glass, Delegate
Thomas Orawiec, Delegate
James Whooley, Delegate
Local 154, District Council 37
New York