For Release: June 1, 2016

TO: Members of the NYS Senate and Assembly
FROM: PowHer New York Equal Pay Campaign
CONTACT: Beverly Neufeld, equalpay@powherny.org

The PowHer New York Equal Pay Campaign, a statewide network of organizations and individuals working collaboratively to advance women’s economic equality, enthusiastically supports S. 6059A Hoylman /A. 8487 Glick. This bill relates to equal pay disclosure with respect to state contracts requiring businesses and organizations bidding to be required, as a condition to winning a bid, to submit data on employee compensation to the New York State Comptroller. We urge the NYS Assembly and Senate to take swift action to pass this bill before the end of session.

To address the pervasive wage gap, the NYS Assembly and Senate proudly and unanimously passed strong legislation which Governor Cuomo signed into law on October 21, 2015. This new law, S.1/A.6075, addresses wage secrecy, closes loopholes in current law and discourages employers from discriminating by increasing damages. Its passage was a bold declaration that New York does not tolerate wage discrimination.

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Proposed legislation sponsored by Senator Brad Hoylman and Assembly member Deborah Glick, S. 6059A/A. 8487, offers the next concrete and viable step toward impacting wage disparity in the private sector. The bill shines light on New York’s wage gap through the state’s contracting power. The bill would require any company seeking a contract or doing business with the state to publicly disclose their wage gap based on gender, race, and ethnicity. Requiring prospective state contractors to disclose whether wage gaps exist in their organizations will create transparency and accountability in the state contracting process by allowing New Yorkers to see if their tax dollars are going to companies that comply with equal pay laws.

This approach leverages New York’s purchasing clout of nearly $240 billion annually to motivate contractors to examine their pay practices. It will create an incentive for contractors who would like to do business with New York State to take action internally to address the unconscious or conscious biases that may result in a wage gap.

S. 6059A/A. 8487 provides a reasonable and practical process which does not place an undue burden on companies, who already report EE0-1 data; exempts small businesses; and respects employee privacy. In 2014, the White House announced that federal contractors would have to report similar data to the federal government, and New Mexico has successfully instituted similar measures which have not been met with resistance or complaint from contract bidders.

There is overwhelming support in New York and across the United States for legislative measures to ensure equal pay for equal work. S. 6059A/A. 8487 is another opportunity for the NYS Legislature to demonstrate commitment to action on equal pay and affirm New York’s role as a leader on smart economic solutions. We urge the passage of this critical and important legislation.