WASHINGTON STATE

Washington State House Democrats

HOUSE DEMOCRATS

Equal Pay Act passes House!

Washington state moves one step closer toward equal pay and economic security for all of us with today’s passage of the Equal Pay Act. During my 35-year career, I’ve worked in lots of different places.

I’ve hired people, conducted performance reviews, and made decisions about promotions and salary increases. Pay inequity is not apparent until a manager starts looking at a group of employees who have the same qualifications, a similar job, and equal performance.

But managers know when women are not being paid the same as men doing the same job. Fifteen years ago, my new supervisor – who was a woman –  came to me and said, “You are being paid thirty percent less than your counterparts and we’re going to give you equal pay.”

It had never occurred to me that for every dollar my male colleagues were paid, I was being paid 70 cents. Fifteen years later, that disparity still prevails in our state and nation.

And that is why I am so proud to vote yes to our state’s first-ever Equal Pay Act today.