CHARLESTON, WV - West Virginia is the 3rd worst state in the nation for
the gender pay gap. In 2017, full-time female workers in West Virginia were paid only 74 cents
for every dollar paid to men. Race exacerbates the pay gap – black women only make 63 cents
for every one dollar earned by men and Latinas make just 60 cents.

That is why local supporters of fair pay are reminding legislators that “All West Virginians
deserve 100% of the pie!”

On Wednesday, February 20, 2019 from 12:30pm-1:30pm in Rm 252 , proponents of SB 412
and HB 2308, the Katherine Johnson Fair Pay Act of 2019, are inviting House and Senate
members to enjoy a slice of pizza and consider what it would mean to families if everyone
earned 100% of the pie.

Advocates of the bi-partisan bills will be available for questions. Supporters include sponsors of
the identical House and Senate bills, members of NOW, the NAACP and the WV Center on
Budget and Policy.

Both bills are named for Katherine Johnson, the African-American mathematician from West
Virginia whose calculations of orbital mechanics as a NASA employee were critical to the
success of American spaceflights. As a woman and a person of color, Johnson faced
substantial workplace discrimination -- immortalized in the feature film Hidden Figures. Named
with her family’s permission, the bills provides tools to level the playing field.

If passed, SB 412 or HB 2308 would focus on two main factors:

● Banning Wage Secrecy Policies : This provision would protect employees’ rights to ask
about, discuss, and disclose their pay without repercussions, and includes penalties for
prohibiting discussions or retaliating against employees who discuss wages

● Prohibiting Use of Salary History in Hiring : When employers rely on past salaries in
setting pay, it perpetuates discrimination through the career of the person hired. This
provision helps ensure wages are set based on skill and merit.