12-R207

2012 -- H 8073

Enacted 04/12/12

H O U S E R E S O L U T I O N

PROCLAIMING APRIL 17, 2012, AS "RHODE ISLAND PAY EQUITY DAY"

Introduced By: Representatives Walsh, Tanzi, Tomasso, Cimini, and Costa

Date Introduced: April 12, 2012

     WHEREAS, Forty years after the passage of the Equal Pay Act and Title VII of the Civil

Rights Act, women and people of color continue to suffer the consequences of inequitable pay

differentials; and

     WHEREAS, According to statistics released in 2011 by the U.S. Census Bureau, year-

round, full-time working women in 2010 earned only 77 percent of the earnings of year-round,

full-time working men, indicating little change or progress in pay equity; and 

     WHEREAS, According to a January 2002 report released by the U.S. Government

Accountability Office (the investigative arm of Congress), women managers in 7 of 10 industries

surveyed actually lost ground in closing the wage gap between 1995 and 2000; and

     WHEREAS, According to an analysis of data in over 300 classifications provided by the

U.S. Department of Labor Statistics in 2001, women earn less in every occupational classification

for which enough data is available, including occupations dominated by women (e.g., cashiers,

retail sales, registered nurses, and teachers); and

     WHEREAS, Higher education is not free from wage discrimination according to a United

States Department of Education analysis, which reported that, after controlling for rank, age,

credentials, field of study, and other factors, full-time female faculty members earn nearly 9

percent less than their male counterparts; and

     WHEREAS, Over a working lifetime, this wage disparity costs the average American

woman and her family $700,000 to $2 million in lost wages, impacting Social Security benefits

and pensions; and

     WHEREAS, Fair pay equity policies can be implemented simply and without undue costs

or hardship in both the public and private sectors; and

     WHEREAS, Fair pay strengthens the security of families today and eases future

retirement costs, while enhancing the American economy; and

     WHEREAS, Tuesday, April 17, symbolizes the time in the new year in which the wages

paid to American women catch up to the wages paid to men from the previous year; now,

therefore be it

     RESOLVED, That this House of Representatives of the State of Rhode Island and

Providence Plantations hereby declares April 17, 2012, as “Rhode Island Pay Equity Day” to

recognize the full value of women's skills and significant contributions to the labor force, and

encourages businesses to conduct an internal pay evaluation to ensure women are being paid

fairly; and be it further

     RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and he hereby is authorized and directed to

transmit duly certified copies of this resolution to the Director of the Department of

Administration, the Personnel Administrator of the Division of Human Resources, and the Co-

Chairs of the Legislative Commission on Pay Equity.

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LC02412

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