African American women make 64 cents and Latina women earn 52 cents for every dollar made by a white man.
Caroline Fredrickson, Washington Legislative Office Director, ACLU

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is urging the House of Representatives to pass the Paycheck Fairness Act (HR1388).

The bill, with 230 co-sponsors to date, would modify the Equal Pay Act by requiring employers to demonstrate that differences in wages among employees are not based on gender, strengthening penalties for equal pay violations, bolstering the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's (EEOC) ability to handle pay discrimination cases, and requiring the EEOC to develop regulations directing employers to collect wage data, reported by race, sex and national origin, of employees.

"The Paycheck Fairness Act is absolutely necessary to protect the economic stability of American families on the edge," said ACLU Washington Legislative Office Director Caroline Fredrickson. "It is unacceptable that in 2008, women still make only 77 cents for every dollar made by their male counterparts, and the disparity is only greater for minority women."

According to Fredrickson, African American women make 64 cents and Latina women earn 52 cents for every dollar made by a white man. "In this troubled economy, no worker should be paid less than she deserves simply because of her gender."

"Last summer, the House of Representatives acted to protect victims of workplace discrimination by passing the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. The Paycheck Fairness Act is another critical weapon in the battle against sex discrimination in the workplace. We are disappointed, if not surprised, to learn that the president has indicated he'll veto this legislation. So we urge the House of Representatives to stand up for equal pay and basic fairness for all American workers by supporting H.R. 1338."