SPRINGFIELD - April 8, 2014. Lt. Governor Sheila Simon today issued the following statement recognizing Equal Pay Day and efforts to create pay equity in Illinois.
"Women are shattering glass ceilings, running billion dollar companies and holding some of the highest elected offices in the country, yet a truly unfair pay gap still exists. A recently released report by the American Association of University Women found women working full time in the United States typically were paid just 77 percent of what men were paid. It's time for a change.
"Over 50 years ago, President John F. Kennedy signed the Equal Pay Act of 1963 in an effort to end wage disparity based on gender. We have come a long way, but we still have a very long way to go. Our daughters and granddaughters should be paid the same as our sons and grandsons.
"Equal Pay Day was created as a public awareness event to illustrate the gap between men's and women's wages. April 8 represents the day when women's earnings finally catch up to men's from the previous year.
"With women making up 55 percent of the nation's minimum wage workers, increasing the minimum wage can help reduce the pay gap. I am supporting Senate Bill 68 to raise the minimum wage to $10.65 over the next three years to create opportunities, encourage pay equity and stimulate our state's economy."
###
