long overdue

Statistically, for each dollar a man is paid, his female colleague earns only 80¢.

Today is Equal Pay Day for 2018 - 2019. April 2. 2019 marks the time the average woman must work into the following year to bring in the amount of money her male counterpart earned in 2018.

Despite the passing of pay equity laws back in the 1960s, we still observe systemic wage discrimination -- particularly when broken down by race. Women of color experience pay disparity at a higher rate and frequency.

• Asian-American women: 85¢

• White women: 77¢

• Black women: 61¢

• Native American women: 58¢

• Latina women: 53¢

I've cosponsored legislation to promote equal pay for equal work. These pieces of legislation include:

• raising the federal minimum wage to $15 per hour and tying future increases to the median hourly rate;

• ensuring women are paid based on skills and experience commensurate with their male counterparts;

• allowing lower-wage workers to request schedule flexibility without retaliation; and

• ending discrimination against working pregnant women and mothers.

This is a start, but pay equity is long overdue. Join the conversation on Facebook.

I will continue to work to expand women's rights. That means guaranteeing a woman's ability to make her own health care decisions, ensuring women earn equal pay for equal work and equitable economic opportunities.

Rick