Support HB 44 so women can be paid the same for equal work call Phone: 573-751-9801 or E-Mail Bill.Lant@house.mo.gov and tell him "Missouri needs best practices cause the law is not working. Pass HB 44 into law."

Women earn less than men for doing the same work.  Like racial profiling, too much research has been done that has resulted in very little action.  Look at any of the links and see for yourself:

Missouri see the gap - http://www.aauw.org/files/2014/09/Missouri-Pay-Gap-2014.pdf  

Madelene Albright came to Missouri to talk about it - https://www.flatlandkc.org/news/luncheon-honoring-madeleine-albright-delves-status-missouri-women/

Even Obama is standing up for your Mama - http://www.whitehouse.gov/issues/equal-pay#top

The Missourian - reported http://www.columbiamissourian.com/a/186123/proposed-bill-would-tackle-gender-wage-gap/

And the list goes on and on - and for the Committee on Workforce Development to here from people that they 'are not sure the gender pay gap is an issue' or that they think 'it is caused women chose not to work so they can stay at home' is just - incredible, fare fetched and like someone in the audience of the hearing whispered today "part of the problem?"  Hold a hearing on it!  Wait you did and a couple of members refuted the evidence taken - without having any different facts.

It's been that way for long time. That helps explain why retirement investment savings for women are much lower than they are for men nationally and within our own state.

But how can this be? It is well known that men and women are entitled to equal compensation for equal work. To pay a woman less simply because she is a woman when doing the same work as a man would be discrimination. That discrimination is specifically prohibited by the Constitution as well as state and local laws.

And every body ignores the reality –  Women earn less than men when doing the same work.

Today Sen. Steven Webber – I mean Rep. Webber took a bold step in proposing legislation that would require the Department of Labor and industrial relations for the state of Missouri to develop and share with the public best practices to ensure that women aren't discriminated against by  receiving lower pay than men who are in the same job and have the same qualifications.

Representative Bob Burns earned a salute as a war veteran who says he supports equal pay for equal work as an American value.

Thank you representative Burns.

The Missouri Chamber of Commerce came out and said that it has not ever studied the issue of the gender pay gap and would not back the measure because they are not sure what it would do.  The corollary to that statement then must be that the Missouri Chamber of Commerce doesn't care about women in the workplace – they never studied the issue but still show up to stand in opposition to a simple measure that would assist Missouri businesses and employees alike in following the Constitution and eliminating discrimination.

Discrimination is still a sin – even if you try to ignore that it's happening.

Other groups like organized labor including the AFL-CIO and many unions took time to demonstrate the power employees have when we stand together. Mike, the new president of the AFL-CIO said it best ' if there is a woman and a man working on the same  jobsite in the same position – they get paid the same.'   it turns out that organized labor has considered the necessity of having our constitutionally protected rights defended in such a way that it ensures employers and employees have a fair exchange.

Next time you look at yourself in the mirror, look at your mother, look at your daughter, look at your sister, or your wife and ask 'who is protecting their civil rights?'   We hope the answer is you. Join the NAACP in standing up for workers rights. Join a union.  Stand Up.  Equal pay for equal work.