Hillary Clinton applauds Massachusetts’ new equal pay law
Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton lauded Massachusetts legislators on Tuesday for passing an equal pay law that forbids employers from asking prospective hires about their salary history.
On Monday, Republican Gov. Charlie Baker signed the bill into law and said that the legislation would ensure “people are paid what they are worth based only on what they are worth and not on something else.”
Clinton, too, applauded the law in a tweet, saying it was “an important step forward on pay equity in Massachusetts.”
An important step forward on pay equity in Massachusetts. Women deserve equal pay across our nation. https://t.co/s560mVbiGQ
— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) August 2, 2016
The law seeks to shrink the pay gap between men and women by banning questions on salary history. Advocates for the law argued that, because women make 82 percent of what men make for comparable work, asking about salary would perpetuate a cycle of lower pay for women.
The legislation also attempts to define the factors that make work “comparable,” including seniority, experience, education, training, and location.
Clinton has made closing the gender wage gap a key part of her campaign pitch to voters. Her campaign website notes that she plans to do so by passing the Paycheck Fairness Act, which would ban employers from retaliating against workers who disclose their own wages or ask coworkers about their wages.
“If you believe that your working mother, wife, sister, or daughter deserves equal pay, join us!” she said at the Democratic National Convention last week.
https://twitter.com/ABCPolitics/status/758861241163014147
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