NYSNA RNs Jalisa Saud from Elmhurst Hospital Center and Seth Dressekie from Woodhull Medical Center spoke passionately about pay equity for nurses at a March 29 press conference with US Senator Charles Schumer, who announced his support for the Paycheck Fairness Act.

The legislation will soon be reintroduced to the US Senate and aims to make much needed changes to the Equal Pay Act of 1963. When that act was passed more than 50 years ago, women were paid 59 cents for every dollar paid to men. In 2015, women are still only paid 77 cents on the dollar paid to men. Because of this wage gap, the average women will forego $431,000 in earnings over her working life.

The Paycheck Fairness Act would ban employers from retaliating against workers who share pay information; make it more difficult to justify paying women less than men; and enable women to more easily seek punitive damages related to wage discrimination.

NYSNA will work with Senator Schumer and others at the federal level to promote passage of this much-needed legislation.