131ST ASSEMBLY DISTRICT

Legislation to end wage discrimination passes assembly

Assemblymember Susan John (D-Rochester/Chili/Wheatland) announced Assembly passage of legislation she sponsored designed to prevent wage discrimination.

John noted that in New York, the typical working woman brings home $118 less per week than a man. "That's a significant amount of money that could go towards bills, rent and any number of other things," she said. "It's high-time the playing field was leveled to end this discriminatory practice.

To remedy discriminatory salary practices, John's legislation (A.290, A.7432) would amend the state Constitution and Labor Law to provide pay equity for all people who perform work of comparable skill, effort and responsibility.

Other measures implement a state policy of equal compensation for state and public employees (A.236, A.7012) - making New York a leader in wage fairness for others to follow. Further, John supported a resolution (K.2249) calling on the United States Congress to enact a federal law prohibiting wage discrimination. To enforce the state's efforts to end wage bias, John has sponsored a measure that makes discriminatory salary practices unlawful (A.5416).

Fighting for equal pay for equal work is another party of Assemblymember John's ongoing effort to improve the quality of life for New York's working families. Recently, the Assembly passed a measure she sponsored increasing the state minimum wage from $5.15 to $6.75 an hour starting next year (A.5132a).