The following is a legislative update from Senator Amanda Ragan:
I believe a strong state starts from the bottom up. We should protect workplace rights, and give priority to Iowa employees and employers – not to out-of-state special interests.
As we celebrate Labor Day, let’s renew our commitment to the principles that helped workers achieve the American Dream and made our country strong. Let’s Put Iowans First!
Equal pay for equal work
In 2009, the Iowa Legislature approved a Pay Equity Act, outlawing wage discrimination. That means it is illegal for an employer to pay some workers less than others for jobs requiring equal skill, effort and responsibility.
Nonetheless, wage inequality persists. Iowa ranks 41 out of the 50 states when it comes to equal pay between men and women. We’ve dropped from 35th in 2016.
On average, a woman working full time in Iowa earns 77 cents for every dollar a man makes.
Over the decades, women have made great gains in education and workforce participation. Even so, the pay gap between men and women widens with higher levels of formal education.
Equal pay for equal work is simply the right thing to do.
It’s not just women who aren’t getting equal pay. It’s a whole host of people. There’s a lot of people out there who don’t put in the work to earn their pay. Yet they get paid. 1 out of 5 need to be fired. You know who you are. lmao