COLUMBUS – A leading state lawmakers from Columbus has introduced a bill intended to narrow the pay gap between men and women in Ohio.
Senator Charleta Tavares says she introduced the Fair and Acceptable Income Required – or “FAIR” – Act to coincide with Black Women’s Equal Pay Day, which was July 31st.
While the National Partnership for Women and Families says women on average earned 78 cents for every dollar paid to men in 2016, the gap is even larger for African-American women, who earned only 66 cents on the dollar, said Tavares, who is the Assistant Minority Leader in the Ohio Senate.
“At a time when women are increasingly responsible for the economic security of their families, it is absolutely critical to ensure that they earn a wage commensurate with their work—and on par with a man’s,” she said.
The bill would strengthen Ohio’s wage discrimination laws by requiring employers to substantiate pay differences, for reasons other than seniority, merit, or quantity or quality of employee production, with “legitimate job-related or skill-based reasons,” she said.
The bill would also prohibit retaliation against workers who discuss their salaries with colleagues or raise concerns about wage inequality. It is also aimed at preventing wage discrimination based upon sexual orientation.
A typical Ohio woman working full time, year-round in 2016 earned $37,140, according to the partnership, compared to a man’s $47,737. Tavares says the gap remains even when accounting for personal choices, industry, and education level.