Obama signs equal-pay bill

[kygirl]

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama signed an equal-pay bill into law Thursday before cheering labor and women leaders who fought hard for it and the woman whose history-making lawsuit gave impetus to the cause.

 

Obama, choosing the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act as the first bill to sign as president, called it a "wonderful day" and declared that ending pay disparities between men and woman an issue not just for women, but for all workers.

http://www.newsday.com/news/politics/wire/sns-ap-obama,0,4063412.story

[cch5432]

From what I understand, price discrimination based on gender is more a myth than anything. Average pay differences are not as different as those would like to imagine, and those differences can be explained largely due to the fact that many job positions that happen to be predominantly occupied by men (such as construction) are more physically dangerous and that is factored into the pay.

[kygirl]

From what I understand, price discrimination based on gender is more a myth than anything. Average pay differences are not as different as those would like to imagine, and those differences can be explained largely due to the fact that many job positions that happen to be predominantly occupied by men (such as construction) are more physically dangerous and that is factored into the pay.

 

Totally disagree with your understanding. The wage gap between women and men cuts across a wide spectrum of occupations. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that in 2007 female financial advisors earned 53.7% of the median weekly wages of male financial advisors, and women in sales occupations earned just 64.8% of men's wages in equivalent positions.

If working women earned the same as men (those who work the same number of hours; have the same education, age, and union status; and live in the same region of the country), their annual family incomes would rise by $4,000 and poverty rates would be cut in half.

Over the past 40 years the real median earnings of women have fallen short by an estimated $700,000 to $2 million. During a lifetime of full-time work (47 years) this gap amounts to an estimated loss in wages for women of $700,000for high school graduates, $1.2 million for a college graduate, and $2 million for a professional school graduate.

 

http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0763170.html

http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0193820.html

[Run To State]

From what I understand, price discrimination based on gender is more a myth than anything. Average pay differences are not as different as those would like to imagine, and those differences can be explained largely due to the fact that many job positions that happen to be predominantly occupied by men (such as construction) are more physically dangerous and that is factored into the pay.

Right on the nose, cch5432. Add to that the fact that many women take time off to have children.

[Irish Cat]

Totally disagree with your understanding. The wage gap between women and men cuts across a wide spectrum of occupations. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that in 2007 female financial advisors earned 53.7% of the median weekly wages of male financial advisors, and women in sales occupations earned just 64.8% of men's wages in equivalent positions.

If working women earned the same as men (those who work the same number of hours; have the same education, age, and union status; and live in the same region of the country), their annual family incomes would rise by $4,000 and poverty rates would be cut in half.

Over the past 40 years the real median earnings of women have fallen short by an estimated $700,000 to $2 million. During a lifetime of full-time work (47 years) this gap amounts to an estimated loss in wages for women of $700,000for high school graduates, $1.2 million for a college graduate, and $2 million for a professional school graduate.

 

http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0763170.html

http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0193820.html

 

OK, so you've pointed out that women in the financial advisor and sales occupations earn less than men in similar positions. However, isn't that their own fault. Those occupations are compensated mostly (if not totally) on a commission basis. Maybe they should get out there and bust their hump. I'm not arguing women should earn less, but you've got to provide other examples than these.

[AirYardGo]

From what I understand, price discrimination based on gender is more a myth than anything. Average pay differences are not as different as those would like to imagine, and those differences can be explained largely due to the fact that many job positions that happen to be predominantly occupied by men (such as construction) are more physically dangerous and that is factored into the pay.

 

:thumb::ylsuper:

[shooter]

Show me an apples to apples comparison. For example, what is the average pay for men versus the average pay for women with the same education level, same job, same experience level, and the same geographical area. To be specific, how much does a male versus a female high school teacher with a master's degree and 20 years of experience make in the city of Lousiville. How about similar comparisons for a nurse? An engineer? An accountant?

 

While the links indicate that women make less than men the data doesn't go deep enough for me. For example, more women are nurses and more men are airline pilots. If you take the average salary of all airline pilots and nurses, men would on average make more than women. Is that discrimination? Also, you have to make sure that the experience level matches since more women take time out of their careers to raise a family than men do so that hurts their earning power. Perhaps women are not getting paid fairly. I don't know. But what I do know is the statistics provided in the links are insufficient to draw a meaningful conclusion and are therefore misleading.

[ladiesbballcoach]

Show me an apples to apples comparison. For example, what is the average pay for men versus the average pay for women with the same education level, same job, same experience level, and the same geographical area. To be specific, how much does a male versus a female high school teacher with a master's degree and 20 years of experience make in the city of Lousiville. How about similar comparisons for a nurse? An engineer? An accountant?

 

While the links indicate that women make less than men the data doesn't go deep enough for me. For example, more women are nurses and more men are airline pilots. If you take the average salary of all airline pilots and nurses, men would on average make more than women. Is that discrimination? Also, you have to make sure that the experience level matches since more women take time out of their careers to raise a family than men do so that hurts their earning power. Perhaps women are not getting paid fairly. I don't know. But what I do know is the statistics provided in the links are insufficient to draw a meaningful conclusion and are therefore misleading.

 

In education, it would be the same.

[acemona]

Why don't you just ask lilly ledbetter?

[swamp thang]

Never heard of her

[acemona]

Never heard of her

 

The equal pay bill is the lilly ledbetter bill.

[mcpapa]

The last sentence in the linked article:

 

The bill, which amends the 1964 Civil Rights Act, also applies to discrimination based on factors such as race, religion, national origin, disability or age.

 

I know that the Cons on this Board will find fault with virtually anything that President Obama (love the sound of that) signs into law; but how can this be a bad thing?

[acemona]

The last sentence in the linked article:

 

The bill, which amends the 1964 Civil Rights Act, also applies to discrimination based on factors such as race, religion, national origin, disability or age.

 

I know that the Cons on this Board will find fault with virtually anything that President Obama (love the sound of that) signs into law; but how can this be a bad thing?

 

a. It is government inteference in the free market

b. It will cost the consumer more money when you have to pay higher salaries

c. If she is not getting paid what she is worth she can always go find a different job

d. companies should be able to pay whatever they want to whomever they want whenever they want

 

shall i go on . . .

[75center]

How about, it's fluff that will accomplish nothing except line the pockets of lawyers?

[ladiesbballcoach]

Curious if any of the female posters on here do not get paid the same as their male counteparts where they work?