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6/23/2021
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Speaker Shekarchi announces amended version of Rep. Donovan’s pay equity bill to be considered by House Labor Committee
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 STATE HOUSE -- Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi has announced that an amended version of pay equity legislation has been posted for a vote in the House Labor Committee this Friday.
The legislation, H 5261 Sub A, sponsored by Rep. Susan R. Donovan (D-Dist. 69, Bristol, Portsmouth), comprehensively addresses wage discrimination based on race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, age, and country of origin. It expands employee protections and the scope of the remedies available to employees who have experienced such discrimination.
“I congratulate Representative Donovan, who has steadfastly introduced this legislation for each of the past four years and has never given up. She is a true champion for women’s issues and has kept pay equity at the forefront of the House’s agenda,” said Speaker Shekarchi, who has been a co-sponsor of her bill in recent years. “This amended legislation is the result of many hours of marathon negotiations. I congratulate the advocates and representatives of the business community who have worked tirelessly since the beginning of this year’s session.”
Speaker Shekarchi also acknowledged the work of House Whip Katherine S. Kazarian (D-Dist. 63, East Providence), who joined him in the negotiations in recent days, resulting in an agreement.
“Due to the hard work of advocates and the business community, I predict this legislation will be a model for pay equity in the nation,” said Speaker Shekarchi. “We have taken best practices adopted in both Massachusetts and Oregon and blended them into a final product that will ensure that women receive equitable compensation and protections in our state. Women deserve the same consideration their counterparts receive.”
“I have experienced first-hand what it’s like to be paid unequally when you are doing comparable work,” stated Representative Donovan. “It’s a devastating blow both emotionally and financially for so many women and people of color across Rhode Island. This bill has been my priority since my first term in the legislature. I am thrilled to see it one step closer to passage.”
The bill:
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Ensures that all employees are paid fairly and equally.
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Provides that, if an employer violates the law, employees may be eligible to collect back pay, unpaid wages, and damages.
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Allows a job applicant, employee, or former employee to seek relief from an employer’s unlawful pay practices at the Department of Labor and Training or in court.
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Evens the playing field for job applicants and employees who are negotiating wages and salary with an employer. The legislation requires more transparency from employers with regard to wage ranges and protects applicants and employees from potentially damaging wage history information.
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Protects “good employers” who are proactive and conduct a wage audit in order to fix any unlawful pay practices.
“Unequal pay for women and people of color is a critical issue for working families,” said Georgia Hollister Isman, New England Regional Director for Working Families. “Closing the pay gap is a needed step toward gender and racial justice, and will help Rhode Island workers pay for groceries, childcare, rent and so much else. As record numbers of women and people of color rejoin the workforce after the pandemic, it’s even more critical that we establish fair pay practices now so we can build just recovery for all Rhode Islanders.”
According to data from the National Women's Law Center, women working full time, year-round typically make only 82 cents for every dollar men make nationally; the size of the disparity varies by state. In Rhode Island, women overall earn 84.8 cents for every dollar men earn.
“I thank Speaker Shekarchi for all the time and effort he expended to make this far better than the original proposal,” said Bob Goldberg, lobbyist for the Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce. “It is unheard of for a Speaker to put that much work into a piece of legislation and we appreciate his efforts.”
Wage disparities disproportionately impact women of color: Black women in Rhode Island earn 60.9 cents and Latinas earn 52.6 cents for every dollar a white, non-Hispanic man earns. Additionally, women make up 65.2% of frontline workers in Rhode Island. Black and Latina women are overrepresented among frontline workers.[1]
“After months of negotiation with the business community, we have finally reached a reasonable compromise on the Fair Pay Act,” said Kelly Nevins, CEO of the Women’s Fund of Rhode Island. “Without this bill, the gender/racial wage gap would likely take many decades to close on its own. Rhode Island will be seen as a state that balances the realities of the business community with fair employment practices that ensure people are paid equally for comparable work. This is a critical message as people rethink their employment options as we climb out of the pandemic. Thank you to Representative Donovan for centering women and people of color in this bill, and to Speaker Shekarchi for mediating in our final days of the negotiation.”
“Representing over six hundred businesses and organizations, it was critical that the Northern Rhode Island Chamber of Commerce was part of this important conversation to address pay equality for women and minorities,” said Liz Catucci, President and CEO. “We thank those business groups that provided us with valuable information and expertise over the past three months as the Northern RI Chamber worked with the proponents of the legislation to craft a workable law: the Chamber of Commerce Coalition, The RI Business Coalition and the Society of Human Resource Managers.”
Also participating in the negotiations was Sarah R. Bratko, the senior vice president of advocacy/general counsel, for the Rhode Island Hospitality Association.
The House Labor Committee will meet on Friday, June 25, at 1:30 p.m. in Room 101.
For more information, contact:
Emily Martineau, Deputy Director of Communications for the Office of the Speaker
State House Room 323
Providence, RI 02903
(401) 222-2466
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