Press Statement  Statement from Treasurer Goldberg on Bill S2107 “An Act to Establish Pay Equity”

Boston — Thursday, January 28, 2016 – State Treasurer Deb Goldberg issued the following statement in support of S2107 – An Act to establish pay equity.  The legislation is scheduled to be considered by the Senate during today’s formal session:

“I fully support S2107,” said Treasurer Goldberg. “Economic empowerment has been the central theme of not only my work in Treasury, but throughout my life.  This legislation takes important steps to encourage awareness, facilitate conversation, and ultimately, ensure equality. Equal pay is not a partisan issue, nor solely a women’s issue. It is a family issue, and it affects the economic health and well-being of our entire state.”

“I want to particularly thank Leader Chandler, Chairwoman Spilka and Senator Jehlen for their steadfast and tireless work to advance this bill and its underlying cause.  I am hopeful that the House might soon consider this legislation so that we can get to work towards finally realizing the promise of equal pay for equal work.”

Bill S2107 proposes several changes, such as increasing the criminal penalty of gender pay discrimination from $100 to $1,000 for employers, and requiring employers to inform their employees of their right to equal pay. The changes would take place at the start of 2018.

In March, Treasurer Goldberg announced the creation of a statewide Advisory Committee on Wage Equality through her Office of Economic Empowerment.  This group has focused on helping both government agencies and private employers to evaluate their pay structure and put a clearer focus on pay equity in their hiring decisions and salary offers.