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Friday, March 29

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The Mechanics
« Geoghegan, Advocate Settle Suit on Billing Ladies and Gentlemen, the Governor of Illinois »

Labor & Worker Rights Thu Jan 29 2009

Kudos, Dem Congress, President Obama

The Lilly Ledbetter Act is ridiculously long overdue. I remember Jesse Jackson fighting for equal pay in 1988. That there has been structural, institutional pay discrimination against a majority group in the population for the last, uh, forever, without public policy remedy is ludicrous.

From WhiteHouse.gov:

"Ultimately, equal pay isn't just an economic issue for millions of Americans and their families, it's a question of who we are -- and whether we're truly living up to our fundamental ideals," President Obama said. "Whether we'll do our part, as generations before us, to ensure those words put on paper some 200 years ago really mean something -- to breathe new life into them with a more enlightened understanding that is appropriate for our time.

 
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Richard LorencAuthor Profile Page / January 29, 2009 7:58 PM

What a silly law. I don't doubt its sincerity, but who would have thought that "fair," and "equal" could be defined by a handful of congresspeople and their staff, not to mention countless judges in the future?

Good Luck / February 1, 2009 9:49 AM

This is pay back to the trial lawyers association for continued support of the democratic party.

Hope.
Change.

w / February 10, 2009 12:03 PM

What's "fair" is that I am paid the exact same as a man for the same job we do, or more if I'm better.

There, I've just made every judge's job easier.

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Feature

Parents Still Steaming, but About More Than Just Boilers

By Phil Huckelberry / 2 Comments

It's now been 11 days since the carbon monoxide leak which sent over 80 Prussing Elementary School students and staff to the hospital. While officials from Chicago Public Schools have partially answered some questions, and CPS CEO Forrest Claypool has informed that he will be visiting the school to field more questions on Nov. 16, many parents remain irate at the CPS response to date. More...

Civics

Substance, Not Style, the Source of Rahm's Woes

By Ramsin Canon / 2 Comments

It's not surprising that some of Mayor Emanuel's sympathizers and supporters are confusing people's substantive disputes with the mayor as the effect of poor marketing on his part. It's exactly this insular worldview that has gotten the mayor in hot... More...

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Mechanics is the politics section of Gapers Block, reflecting the diversity of viewpoints and beliefs of Chicagoans and Illinoisans. More...
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