President Clinton Announces New Equal Pay Initiative

This is historical material, "frozen in time."
The web site is no longer updated and links to external web sites and some internal pages will not work.

President Clinton Announces New Equal Pay Initiative

THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release

January 24, 2000

PRESIDENT CLINTON ANNOUNCES NEW EQUAL PAY
INITIATIVE AND URGES PASSAGE OF PAYCHECK FAIRNESS ACT

Today, President Clinton will unveil a $27 million Equal Pay Initiative in his FY 2001 budget and urge prompt passage of the Paycheck Fairness Act in order to combat unfair pay practices against women. The Initiative includes $10 million for the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) to 1) bolster the ability of the EEOC to identify and respond to wage discrimination; 2) teach businesses how to meet legal requirements; and 3) launch an equal pay public service announcement campaign to inform employers and employees alike of their rights and responsibilities. The Initiative also dedicates $10 million for the Labor Department to train women in non-traditional jobs, and provides $7 million for the Labor Department to help employers improve their pay policies, provide non-traditional apprenticeships, and implement industry partnerships.

PRESIDENT UNVEILS NEW INITIATIVE. The President’s budget includes a $27 million initiative to help the EEOC and Labor Department fight wage discrimination. The Initiative includes $10 million for the EEOC to:

provide, for the first time, training and technical assistance to about 3,000 employers on how to comply with equal pay requirements under the law;
develop public service announcements to educate employees and employers on their rights and responsibilities under equal pay laws; and
train over 1,000 EEOC staff in identifying and responding to wage discrimination, the first such training since EEOC assumed responsibility for the Equal Pay Act in 1978.

The Initiative also provides $17 million for DOL to:

train women in non-traditional jobs -- for instance, in the high technology industry;
expand access to high-quality employment-related information and career guidance through the One-Stop Career Center delivery system;
fund projects to increase women’s participation in non-traditional apprenticeships;
provide employers with the necessary assistance to assess and improve their pay policies; and continue to educate the public on the importance of equal pay; and
strengthen industry partnerships to help women retain jobs and progress in the workforce.

PRESIDENT ALSO CALLS FOR PASSAGE OF LONG-OVERDUE LEGISLATION. The President again will urge Congress to pass the "The Paycheck Fairness Act" introduced by Sen. Tom Daschle (D-S.D.) and Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.), to strengthen laws prohibiting wage discrimination. The highlights of this legislation include a new data collection provision; increased penalties under the Equal Pay Act (EPA); a non-retaliation provision; and a provision for increased training, research, and a pay equity award.

What's New - January 2000

African American History Month

Protecting America’s Natural and Historic Treasures

Remarks by Samuel Berger to the National Press Club

The Lowest Unemployment Rate in 30 Years

President Clinton Announces Bioenergy & Bioproducts Tax Incentives January 27, 2000

President Clinton Proposes to Expand the Earned Income Tax Credit

Unprecedented National Effort to Improve Our Nation’s Schools by Dramatically Increasing Accountability and Investment

FY2001 New Opportunity Agenda

FY2001 Budget & New Opportunity Agenda

President Clinton Unveils First Accounts

Major New Increase in Funding to Determine Environmental Causes of Disease