SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – Women in Illinois will no longer face biased interview questions that have historically locked them into a lifetime of lower pay as a result of a new pay equity law backed by state Rep. Dan Didech, D-Buffalo Grove, going into effect.

“While Donald Trump and his allies chip away at the progress we’ve made and refuse to acknowledge the priorities of women, we have worked to make Illinois a leader in championing women’s rights,” Didech said. “It is unacceptable that on average women still earn less than their male peers and this new law aims to fix that injustice.”

Didech was a vocal supporter and sponsor of House Bill 834, which aims to close the wage gap between men and women by prohibiting companies from asking a job seeker to disclose their salary history, or attempting to obtain it any other way. Given discrepancies in pay, when prospective employees are asked about their salary history it can indirectly lock them into that salary instead of a more competitive one. With the new Didech-backed law, Illinois joins states like Massachusetts, California, Delaware, and Oregon who have passed similar legislation.

“This is a necessary first step as we work to ensure equal pay for equal work is more than just a slogan,” Didech added. “I remain committed to pushing back against any radical attempt to chip away at our progress and advocating on behalf of policies that advance the priorities of Illinois women and families.”

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SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – State Rep. Thaddeus Jones, D-Calumet City, is helping combat Illinois’ teacher shortage by ensuring that educators in communities across the state are paid fairly for their important work.

“We need to recognize that teachers fill a vital role in our society and pay them what they deserve,” Jones said. “There are teachers who still have to live with roommates after years of shaping the next generation of Illinois’ kids, and that has to change. A well-funded education system filled with well-payed educators is the foundation for a thriving economy, a brighter future for our children and a stronger Illinois.”

Jones passed House Bill 2078, which sets minimum teacher salaries at $32,076 for the 2020-2021 school year and gradually raises it by about $2,000 every year for four years. The last Illinois law guiding universal teacher pay was passed in 1980 and it set base salaries for teachers with a bachelor’s degree and 120 semester hours at just $10,000 a year. This legislation received strong bipartisan support and is now law.

Illinois is currently tenth in the country in average statewide teacher pay; however, that figure is skewed by extremely high salaries in Chicago suburbs. A 2018 study by the Illinois State Board of Education found that over 500 of Illinois’ 898 school districts statewide started teachers with a bachelor’s degree at salaries less than $40,000, and 167 started them below $35,000. Low starting salaries for teachers has led to rapid turnover, decreasing the quality of education and creating the teacher shortage Illinois now faces.

“If teachers are paid what they’re worth, more new teachers will stick with their careers after the first few years,” Jones said. “Ensuring our children have access to the best education is not only critical to helping tomorrow’s leaders succeed, but an important step toward strengthening our economy and growing our state.”

ROUND LAKE BEACH, Ill. – State Rep. Sam Yingling, D-Grayslake, partnered with Lake County Treasurer Holly Kim to hold a Day of Action to demand equal pay for equal work. Yingling and Kim spoke to the crowd about the importance of equal pay before going out into the community to gather signatures for a petition supporting efforts to close the wage gap between men and women.  This spring, Yingling supported legislation to crack down on discriminatory wage practices that lock women into a lifetime of unequal wages. The legislation was recently signed into law by Gov. J.B. Pritzker.  

“It’s unacceptable that a woman with similar or equal experience earns less than her male colleague,” Yingling said. “While we made significant progress this year to close the wage gap, much more work remains to be done. That’s why I want to thank everyone who came out today and did their part to ensure equality.”

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – State Rep. Diane Pappas, D-Itasca, is combatting the statewide teacher shortage by ensuring Illinois’ educators are paid fairly for their work.

“Teachers contribute so much to our society and to our kids’ lives; they deserve fair compensation for all the good work they do,” Pappas said. “They have devoted their careers to nurturing and guiding the next generation of Illinoisans through critical parts of their lives, and they shouldn’t be living paycheck to paycheck. This law will give many teachers the much-needed financial relief they have more than earned.”

Pappas helped pass House Bill 2078, which sets minimum teacher salaries at $32,076 for the 2020-2021 school year and gradually raises it by about $2,000 every year for four years. The last Illinois law guiding universal teacher pay was passed in 1980, and it set base salaries for teachers with a bachelor’s degree and 120 semester hours at just $10,000 a year. Pappas’s legislation received strong bipartisan support and is now law.

Illinois is currently tenth in the country in average statewide teacher pay; however, that figure is skewed by inconsistent salaries throughout the state. A 2018 study by the Illinois State Board of Education found that over 500 of Illinois’ 898 school districts statewide started teachers with a bachelor’s degree at salaries less than $40,000, and 167 started them below $35,000. Low-starting salaries for teachers has led to rapid turnover, decreasing the quality of education and creating the teacher shortage Illinois now faces.

“An investment in teachers is an investment in the next generation as well,” Pappas said. “Putting money towards giving our children a quality education that prepares them for high-skilled, high-wage jobs will not just help Illinois kids now, it will bolster our economy for long-term growth and build a stronger Illinois.”

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. – Highlighting his commitment to equal pay for equal work, state Rep. Mark Walker, D-Arlington Heights, is commending Gov. J.B. Pritzker for signing legislation Walker spearheaded to protect women from potential pay discrimination.

“Too many employers still use discriminatory hiring practices, such as asking about a woman’s wage history, making it easier for them to pay their employees less,” Walker said. “I supported this legislation improving on Illinois’ equal pay laws because it keeps us on the path to true wage equality. As a former entrepreneur, I know that the best workers are the employees who have the skills and experience needed to do the job, not the ones you can pay less.”

House Bill 834 strengthens state laws prohibiting wage discrimination by making it illegal for employers to force applicants to disclose their wage or salary history. This practice has been used historically to keep women in a cycle of lower wages often perpetuating throughout their lives. The bill, co-sponsored by Walker, passed both the House and the Senate with bipartisan support.

“Laws like these go beyond just the important fight to end sexism and gender discrimination,” Walker said. “Building a stronger Illinois by building a stronger middle class means paying working families a living wage. Increasing the minimum wage and working toward true wage equality are big steps we’ve taken in the General Assembly to help Illinoisans get ahead.”

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – State Rep. Jonathan Carroll, D-Northbrook, helped pass legislation that seeks to end discriminatory pay practices used by employers that have been used to lock women into a lifetime of unfair and unequal wages. Gov. J.B. Pritzker recently signed the measure into law.

“It is not a hard concept to understand that women deserve to earn the same pay as their male colleagues for performing the same job,” said Carroll. “I do not want my daughter to live in a world where she earns less pay simply because she is a woman. Employers who executed these bad practices to restrict women from earning equal pay should be ashamed, and now they and their cohorts who engage in similar discriminatory practices are breaking the law.”

Carroll’s House Bill 834 will more strictly prevent employers from asking potential employees about their salary history, which has been a discriminatory practice used against women to justify paying them less for the same job their male colleagues perform. Banning corporations and employers from engaging in this practice will begin to break the cycle of unfair pay for women.

The measure received bipartisan support in the House and the Senate, and was signed into law by Gov. J.B. Pritzker.

“Employers should be seeking out the most talented individuals to perform the jobs they are trying to fill and not using women’s gender as an excuse to withhold their compensation,” said Carroll. “I thank the governor for doing the right thing for Illinois women, but there is still a long way to go to ensure that all women earn equal pay for equal work.”

SCHAUMBURG, Ill. – Legislation supported by state Rep. Michelle Mussman, D-Schaumburg, to help secure equal pay for women and people of color was recently signed into law by the governor.

“Even in 2019, women still earn less than 80 cents for every dollar earned by their male peers, and this gap in pay is even larger for women of color,” Mussman said. “Women deserve equal pay for equal work, and it is critical that we implement policies that work to close the wage gap.”

The Mussman-backed House Bill 834 updates the Equal Pay Act by prohibiting employers from requiring job candidates to submit their current wage or salary history. Given historic wage discrimination based on gender and race, banning this unfair practice will prevent a history of unfair pay from following women and minorities throughout their careers. Gov. J.B. Pritzker recently signed the bill into law.

“Because of the current pay gap, requiring a female or minority job applicant to disclose their salary history can perpetuate inequality,” Mussman said. “This legislation will prohibit employers from using such discriminatory practices and help ensure equal pay for all.”

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – State Rep. Kathy Willis, D-Northlake, is highlighting a new equal pay law that will end the cycle of unfair pay for women and help eliminate the wage gap. The measure was recently signed into law by Gov. J.B. Pritzker.

“Building a stronger Illinois means that everyone is paid fairly for the work that they perform, regardless of their gender,” Willis said. “For too long, employers have exploited women’s past salary history as a means to lock them into a cycle of unfair and unequal pay. The new law I supported bans this discriminatory practice and establishes new penalties on businesses who are caught engaging in that behavior.”  

House Bill 834 will more strictly prevent employers from asking potential employees about their salary history, which has been a discriminatory practice used against women to justify paying them less for the same job their male colleagues perform. Banning corporations and employers from engaging in this practice will begin to break the cycle of unfair pay for women. The measure received bipartisan support in the House and the Senate, and was signed into law by Gov. J.B. Pritzker.

“This is a step in the right direction for pay equality, but all women still face obstacles to be compensated and treated fairly among their male colleagues,” Willis said. “I thank Governor Pritzker for signing this critical legislation into law, which will help countless women earn they money they deserve and start eliminating the wage gap.”

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – Legislation backed by state Rep. Mike Halpin, D-Rock Island, cracking down on discriminatory practices used to unfairly pay women less than men is now law.

“Women deserve equal pay for equal work. That should be a given, but the problem of salary discrimination is sadly persistent,” Halpin said. “There are still problematic employers who seem determined to ensure that women don’t get the compensation they are owed, and that takes a toll on entire families. This new law goes to the heart of the problem by banning the unfair practices used to perpetuate workplace inequality.”

Halpin voted to pass House Bill 834, which prohibits employers from requiring prospective employees submit a salary history during the interview process. Basing wages on an employees’ previous salary instead on their qualifications disadvantages women and others who have historically been paid less. The measure received bipartisan support and was recently signed into law.

Cherita Ellens, CEO of Women Employed, voiced her support for the law.

“We are proud to say that in Illinois, a woman’s salary will now be based on her skills, her experience, and the requirements of the job—and not on her past wages,” Ellens said. “This will go a long way towards eliminating the wage gap, and will also lift up our communities and local economy.”

CHICAGO, Ill. – To help undo the effects of gender and racial discrimination, state Rep. Justin Slaughter, D-Chicago, recently supported a new law that will prohibit employers from engaging in practices that contribute to the gap in pay between women and their male counterparts.

“For far too long, employers have benefited from the shroud of secrecy that surrounds salaries here in Illinois and across the country,” said Slaughter. “By asking applicants about their current or previous salaries, employers can perpetuate unequal pay for women, especially women of color. Now is the time for both women and people of color to be paid what they are worth. No one should be paid less because of their gender, race, and this legislation brings us one step closer to achieving true equality in our great state.”

The Slaughter-backed House Bill 834 passed both the House and Senate and was recently signed into law by Gov. Pritzker. This legislation amends the Equal Pay Act by adding new language that prohibits employers from requiring applicants to submit salary history, in addition to prohibiting employers from requiring employees to abstain from discussing salaries with each other. By adding these changes, legislators sought to increase transparency in workplace salaries and help minorities and women receive fair pay.

“I am so proud that the people of Illinois now have a governor who recognizes the importance of equality between all genders and races,” said Slaughter “I look forward to working on more legislation that helps to repair the damage done by decades of normalized racism and sexism in our workplaces.”