Virginia Women’s Equality Coalition Disappointed that House Subcommittee Fails to Pass Equal Pay Act

Richmond, Virginia–The House Commerce and Labor Subcommittee #1 defeated Delegate Boysko’s HB1089, a bill that would have required equal pay for equal work, regardless of sex. Members of the Women’s Equality Coalition are furious that in 2018, there is still such a significant wage gap in this country.

Women are the breadwinners in 6 out of every 10 families. When women aren’t paid a fair wage for their work, families and kids fall further behind. Closing the wage gap means more money in families’ pockets and more customers for local businesses, providing a shot in the arm for our local economy.

“By voting against equal pay for equal work, the message to Virginia women is loud and clear: our lawmakers in Richmond do not consider us first -class citizens,” Patsy Quick, Co-President of the American Association of University Women of Virginia, said. “Unfortunately,the reality is that in 2016 Virginia women working full time made 80 cents for every dollar made by men—a pay gap of 20 percent. As bad as this is, it is even worse for women of color.”

An AAUW research report – Graduating to a Pay Gap: The Earnings of Men and Women One Year After College Graduation –found that when you account for factors known to affect pay, women are still paid 7 percent less than men just one year after college — and the gap only widens from there. The gender pay gap is real, and it’s about time our lawmakers in Richmond got real about addressing it.

Today, black women earn about 63 cents for every dollar earned by a white man; Latinas earn about 54 cents; and white women earn about 78 cents. The Women’s Equality Coalition is made up of 14 organizations across Virginia and is dedicated to dedicated to ensuring that all Virginia women are able to fully participate in social, economic, and political life.