McAuliffe wants tougher sanctions for gender-based wage discrimination

June 06, 2013|By Todd Allen Wilson, | 804-643-0499

Democratic candidate for governor Terry McAuliffe said Thursday he wants to strengthen Virginia's equal pay laws by increasing the penalty for gender-based wage discrimination.

McAuliffe called for increasing the amount of back pay a woman would receive if she was the victim of wage discrimination. He cited a U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics study that shows women in Virginia make 78 cents for every dollar men make, and a Pew Research Institute study released last week that shows women are now the primary or sole wage earners in 40 percent of American households.

He said he wants to increase the amount of back pay a woman receives from two times the wages she lost due to wage discrimination to three times that amount.

Under current law if a woman was paid $100 less than a male colleague for doing the same job simply because she is female she would be due $200 in compensation. If the General Assembly were to pass McAuliffe's proposal she would get $300. McAuliffe noted this would be a 50 percent increase in the penalty.

"I hope this will send a strong message to women that as Virginians we want their talents in our workforce," McAuliffe said on a phone call with reporters. "And to businesses, that we've attracted and retained the best and brightest workforce with fair laws and strong pro-business policies.

"We need to provide for, not place barriers in front, of women or anyone else who is being discriminated against."

McAuliffe was joined on the call by Zee Worstell of Williamsburg, who owns AccelerateHER, a company that offers coaching to women who own businesses.

Worstell recalled being a young sales representative who was asked to train a new male colleague, only to learn he made $20,000 more than she did for the same job. She said when she asked her boss why, she was told she was "just a girl" and her colleague had a family to support.

"That's why we need to have leaders like Terry McAuliffe in the governor's office who will put in place policies like these so we can encourage women to succeed," Worstell said.

McAuliffe said he believed his proposal was a measure both Democrats and Republicans could support.

The campaign for Ken Cuccinelli, McAuliffe's Republican opponent, did not indicate whether the attorney general supports McAuliffe's plan. Spokeswoman Anna Nix said Cuccinelli has put out his own economic plan to strengthen the state's economy.

"Ken is focused on his Economic Growth and Virginia Jobs Plan that creates opportunities for all Virginians," Nix said. "His plan will ease the burden on middle-class families and allow them to keep more of their hard-earned money and let businesses expand and create more jobs for unemployed Virginians."

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