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Assemblywoman Barbara Lifton (D/WF-125) announced today that her bill authorizing a state study on wage disparities among public employees (A2549) has been signed into law by Governor Andrew Cuomo. Specifically, the legislation would direct the President of the New York State Civil Service Commission to publish a report evaluating the presence of wage disparities among public employees in relation to job titles segregated by gender and race/ethnicity. Lifton said the legislation is important because it will deliver critical data that can be used to address wage disparities based on the equivalent value of employment.

"We have made significant progress as a society in narrowing the wage gap over the last few decades, but despite these landmark efforts, inequities still exist," said Lifton. "Nationally, women earn 80%, on average, of what men earn, and this gap widens even further when you factor in race. There are many reasons why eliminating this gap makes sense. Wage disparities can have very negative long-term impacts, not just for the workers themselves, but also for their children and families."

In order to ensure that public employees are being compensated fairly for jobs of equivalent value, it is imperative to first establish if, where, and how such inequities exist, Lifton continued. Once completed, the study will be delivered to the Governor and the leaders of the legislature, and the data from the study will be used to address pay inequities in the state's workforce.

"New York State has to be a leader on this issue – a model of reform," concluded Lifton. "By getting our own house in order and ensuring that our public employees are being paid fairly for the work that they are doing, we are sending the wider message that wage disparities cannot be tolerated in a society that prides itself on treating everyone fairly."

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