On March 11, the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions will hold a hearing on the Paycheck Fairness Act (S.182). AAUW will be there to live-blog the hearing, providing a minute-by-minute account of the proceedings.

As AAUW members are aware, the Paycheck Fairness Act is a much needed update of the 46-year-old Equal Pay Act. This comprehensive bil –with 37 Senate cosponsors–would create stronger incentives for employers to follow the law, empower women to negotiate for equal pay, and strengthen federal outreach, education and enforcement efforts.

The bill would also deter wage discrimination by strengthening penalties for equal pay violations and by prohibiting retaliation against workers who ask about employers’ wage practices or disclose their own wages.

In short, the bill updates the law to reflect the practices and processes under more recent civil rights laws. Following the enactment of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act last year, passing the Paycheck Fairness Act is a logical next step forward in the fight for pay equity.

As part of our efforts to draw attention to this critical legislation, AAUW will live-blog the hearing, providing a minute-by-minute account of the proceedings.  AAUW members and other interested persons may access the live-blog page on our Web site to sign up for an e-mail reminder, and on the day of the hearing, ask questions and offer comments as part of a community conversation.

With millions of Americans still out of work, an unprecedented number of women are now the family breadwinners–making fair pay even more critical, not simply to family economic security but also to the nation’s economic recovery.  The Paycheck Fairness Act can help to create a climate where wage discrimination is not tolerated, and give the administration the enforcement tools it needs to make real progress on pay equity.