Update: Today, the WA House voted to pass the equal pay bill…but 28 WA representatives somehow managed to vote no on equal pay! The bill will now move to the WA Senate for a vote, and clearly, our legislators need to hear from more of us. Click here to tell your legislators to support HB 1506, the WA equal pay bill. And then read on for a message from Lane, a Working WA member!

 

Dear Friends,

My name is Lane. I’m a worker, a mom, and a Working Washington member in Seattle. I’m writing to you today to talk to you about the gender pay gap in Washington. It’s going to take a lot of work to turn things around and make progress on equal pay for women — but there’s one way we can help make it happen now.

HB 1506, the equal pay bill, has passed the Washington House & is coming before the Senate. I’d like to share my own story with you, and let you know why I support HB 1506.

Demand equal pay for women: Tell your state legislators why you support HB 1506.

My daughter Emily is 16, and I was a stay-at-home mom for most of her life. But when I got divorced a few years ago, I needed to go back to work.

Me with my daughter, Emily, when she was younger

I have a master’s degree and I’ve held management-level jobs, so I thought I’d be able to re-enter the workforce smoothly. But I was wrong.

(To read the rest of Lane’s story, click here.)

Right now, women in Washington make 79 cents for every dollar earned by a man. The gap in earnings is even more severe for women of color, who are paid just 60 cents for every dollar earned by a white man.

If we want to change that, we need to update our laws. That’s where HB 1506 comes in.

The bill would strengthen Washington’s Equal Pay Act with provisions like prohibiting discrimination in career opportunities, making it illegal for employers to prevent workers from discussing their wages with each other, punishing employers who retaliate against workers for filing a complaint, and improving enforcement.

I’m asking you to support the bill by sending a letter to your state legislators so they know where Washington’s workers stand.

If we stand together, speak out, and share our stories, we can make real change for women in Washington.

Thanks for your support,
Lane, Working WA member