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Editorial ignored a long-standing law

I was surprised that your editorial headlined “Equal pay” (Herald, Jan. 31) made no reference to the Federal Equal Pay Act of 1963 (http://www.eeoc.gov/eeoc/publications/fs-epa.cfm). As your readers can see for themselves there, that law seeks to achieve the goals you espouse.

Beyond the founding principle of gender equity in pay, to quote the website verbatim, “Pay differentials are permitted when they are based on seniority, merit, quantity or quality of production, or a factor other than sex. These are known as affirmative defenses and it is the employer’s burden to prove that they apply.”

Perhaps the Herald disagrees with those exceptions, but the editorial didn’t say so. It focused on three proposed pieces of Colorado state legislation described as “small steps” toward gender pay equity, but ignored a giant leap that was made by President John F. Kennedy.

I found it odd that the editorial about proposed legislation, was uninformed by current, long-standing law or, if it was informed by it, made no mention of that.

Chuck Yoos

Durango



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