The Rochester Chapter of NOW staged a protest in front of State Senator Joe Robach's office in Greece on Tuesday, April 22. At issue is the New York State Fair Pay Act (S.2936), which Robach (R,Greece) and his fellow Republicans are trying to scuttle.
As the new head of the Senate Labor Committee, Robach can keep the bill bottled up in committee so it can't be voted upon. And, that's just what he's doing.
On average women earn only 73% of what men are paid for comparable jobs. The New York State Fair Pay Act (S.2936) would end this discrimination by simply requiring equal pay for equal work. Not only is this important for the paychecks women receive now, but also for calculation of Social Security and pension ben
efits. The NY State Assembly has passed this bill every year since 2002, but it has been blocked in the Senate.
On Wednesday, women's rights heavyweight Gloria Steinem came to the Well of the Legislative Office Building in Albany to speak to union leaders, politicians and supporters about the importance of passing the Fair Pay Act. State Senator Joe Robach, R-Greece, also addressed the crowd, saying he supported the legislation. Then, Robach, who is the new chairman of the Senate Labor Committee, started backsliding, telling a reporter that he wouldn't actively commit to supporting the bill.
