Governor Cuomo signs equal pay law ahead of Parade of Champions celebrating USWNT
NEW YORK (WABC) -- New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said that there is "no rationale" why the U.S. Women's National Soccer Team members are paid less than men.
The governor then signed a law before the start of the parade celebrating the women's World Cup win eliminating a "loophole" that he said still allows gender discrimination in pay for the same jobs.
"It's not just the right thing to do," Cuomo said. "It's not just the moral thing to do, it is also the law in the State of New York."
Chants of "equal pay" resonated throughout the parade down the Canyon of Heroes and the ceremony held at City Hall, and US Soccer President Carlos Cordeiro said in his speech that female athletes "deserve fair and equitable pay."
"We hear you, we believe in you, and we're committed to doing right by you," he said.
In addition, New York City Mayor and 2020 presidential candidate Bill de Blasio said that if he wins, one of his first acts would be calling on the United States Congress to amend the Amateur Sports Act to guarantee equity in resources and pay for women's and men's national sports teams chartered under the act, including the U.S. Soccer Federation.
The changes would be modeled on Title IX requirements that changed the landscape of college athletics in the country. The mayor says they must serve as a model of national sports teams as well.
"Champions of the world deserve to be paid their fair share," de Blasio said. "The U.S. Women's National Team shouldn't have to fight for equality in this day and age and its outrageous that they still have to fight for equal compensation. Title IX was simply the beginning, and under my administration, I will do everything in my power to make sure working women and young girls know they are on the same playing field."
The Paycheck Fairness Act would also prohibit employers from using salary history to ensure that salaries are not based on prior pay disparities that can follow workers from job to job.
It would protect against retaliation for discussing pay with colleagues, including stopping employers from being able to fire employees for sharing information and ensure greater transparency, while helping identify salary disparities.
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