Bill Text: MI HR0229 | 2011-2012 | 96th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: A resolution to declare April 17, 2012, as Pay Equity Day in the state of Michigan.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 10-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2012-04-17 - Referred To Committee On Commerce [HR0229 Detail]
Download: Michigan-2011-HR0229-Introduced.html
Rep. Brown offered the following resolution:
House Resolution No. 229.
A resolution to declare April 17, 2012, as Pay Equity Day in the state of Michigan.
Whereas, Nearly 50 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% of the earnings of year-round full-time working men , indicating little change or progress in pay equity; and
Whereas, Higher education is not free from wage discrimination. According to a U.S. Department of Education analysis, after controlling for rank, age, credentials, field of study and other factors, full-time female faculty members earn nearly 9% less than their male counterparts; and
Whereas, According to statistics released in 2010 by the U.S. Census Bureau, Michigan women earned only $34,542 compared to men making $48,066. Looking at year-round, full-time college educated workers, Michigan women earned 72% of the earnings of their male counterparts, with Michigan ranking 46th in the nation; 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, April 17, 2012, 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 by the House of Representatives, That the members of this legislative body declare April 17, 2012, as Pay Equity Day in the state of Michigan. We urge Michigan's citizens to recognize the full value of women’s skills and significant contributions to the labor force and encourage businesses to conduct an internal pay evaluation to ensure women are being paid fairly.
