Allred Votes for Equal Pay for Equal Work as Bipartisan Paycheck Fairness Act Passes House

Press Release

Congressman Colin Allred (TX-32) today voted for H.R. 7, the Paycheck Fairness Act. Allred is a cosponsor of the measure which passed the House with bipartisan support.

"No matter who you are or where you work, everyone should receive equal pay for equal work," said Allred. "I was raised by a single mom, who was a Dallas public school teacher, so I saw first hand the hurdles women face in the workplace every day. This bipartisan bill takes a long overdue step toward addressing the gender pay gap that too many North Texas women face."

Watch this video of fellow freshman Rep. Abigail Spanberger (VA-07) and Allred discussing the bill here.

According to a Dallas Morning News analysis, in Dallas County, median annual pay for women working full-time, was $37,511 compared with $50,691 in Collin County, which is 93 percent of what men earned in Dallas County and about 70 percent in Collin County.

Break down of pay disparity by race and gender in Dallas and Collin Counties:

In Dallas County, compared to the median income of white men:

White women made 78 percent

Hispanic women made 38 percent

Black women made 55 percent

AAPI women made 70 percent

In Collin County, compared to the median income of white men:

White women made 65 percent

Hispanic women made 44 percent

Black women made 55 percent

AAPI women made 80 percent

The Paycheck Fairness Act does the following:

Requires employers to prove that pay disparities exist for legitimate, job-related reasons. In doing so, it ensures that employers who try to justify paying a man more than a woman for the same job must show the disparity is not gender-based, but job-related.

Bans retaliation against workers who voluntarily discuss or disclose their wages.

Ensures women can receive the same robust remedies for sex-based pay discrimination that are currently available to those subjected to discrimination based on race and ethnicity.

Removes obstacles in the Equal Pay Act to facilitate a worker's participation in class action lawsuits that challenge systemic pay discrimination.

Makes improvements in the Department of Labor's tools for enforcing the Equal Pay Act.

Provides assistance to all businesses to help them with their equal pay practices, recognizes excellence in pay practices by businesses, and empowers women and girls by creating a negotiation skills training program.

Prohibits employers from relying on salary history in determining future pay, so that pay discrimination does not follow women from job to job.

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