THE MALDEN ADVOCATE–Friday, August 30, 2024 Page 3 Malden legislators help pass wage equity legislation S tate Senator Jason Lewis and State Representatives Paul Donato, Steve Ultrino and Kate Lipper-Garabedian joined their colleagues in the Massachusetts Legislature to take a signifi cant step towards closing the gender and racial wage gap in the Commonwealth by passing An Act relative to salary range transparency. Known as the “Frances Perkins Workplace Equity Act,” after the fi rst woman to serve as U.S. Labor Secretary, this legislation requires employers with 25 or more employees to disclose a salary range when posting an open position and protects an employee’s right to ask their employer for the salary range for a position when applying for a job or seeking a promotion. The bill also requires employers with more than 100 employees to share their federal wage and workforce data reports with the state’s Executive Offi ce of Labor and Workforce Development, which would then be responsible for compiling and publishing aggregated wage and workforce data to help identify gender and racial wage gaps by industry. After the Mass. House and Senate enacted the bill on July 24, 2024, it was signed into law by Governor Maura Healey on July 31, 2024, as Chapter 141 of the Acts of 2024. “The passage of this important legislation continues our er employees, while fi ghting the racial and gender pay gaps that persist throughout the Commonwealth.” “This legislation is a step forJason Lewis State Senator Steven Ultrino State Representative ward in ensuring equal pay and closing wage gaps, especially for women and people of color who face persistent workplace inequality,” said Representative Ultrino. “With this crucial piece of legislation, we will continue to strengthen the future of the Commonwealth by empowering our workers.” “I was proud to join the full legislature in supporting the Francis Perkins Workplace Equity Act, not only to close gender and racial wage gaps, but to empower workers broadly across the Commonwealth,” said Representative Lipper-Garabedian. “Greater pay transparency is a tool for correcting gender and racial wage disparities. Salary information further empowers all Paul Donato State Representative commitment to closing wage gaps for women and people of color in Massachusetts,” said Senator Lewis. “Improving salary transparency has been proven to reduce pay disparities and improve pay equity.” “This important piece of legKate Lipper-Garabedian State Representative islation is critical in ensuring a competitive and equitable workplace for all in Massachusetts,” said Representative Donato. “Additionally, I am proud of my House colleagues for overwhelmingly passing this bipartisan legislation to help empowMalden residents celebrate a Platinum Anniversary! M ayor Gary Christenson paid a visit to Edwin and Carol Wood to congratulate them on their 70th Wedding Anniversary! Lifelong Malden residents, Edwin and Carol are high school sweethearts who are graduates of Malden High School’s Class of 1951. Following their wedding at Sacred Hearts Church on August 29, 1954, they raised their family in Malden. They are extremely proud of their six children and eight grandchildren, and truly enjoy spending time with them and dear friends. Mayor Christenson surprised them with a citation on behalf of the City of Malden in recognition of their milestone anniversary. A PROVEN CHAMPION WITH FORWARD THINKING VALUES AND AN UNPARALLELED RECORD OF DEDICATION AND EXPERIENCE FIGHTING FOR YOU! Sponsor: “Massachusetts Clean Energy Bill” Transitions the Commonwealth to Clean Electricity, Heating and Transportation Sponsor: “LGBTQ Health Access Bill” Protects Health and Religious Freedom by Banning Cell Phone Location Sponsor: “Senior Citizen Housing Assistance Bill” Provides a Senior Citizen Residential Tax Exemption Sponsor: “Affordable Early Education Bill” Mandates Affordable and Accessible Early Childhood Education Sponsor: “Banning Child Marriage Bill” Outlaws Child Marriage in Massachusetts Sponsor: “Women’s Health Care Assistance” Promotes Access to Midwife Options for Pregnant Women Edwin Wood, Mayor Gary Christenson and Carol Wood (Paid Pol. Adv.) workers with greater leverage as they navigate the job market and seek income aligned with the value of their work.” This new law makes Massachusetts the eleventh state to mandate pay transparency by requiring employers to disclose salary ranges, according to the National Women’s Law Center. It builds upon the Legislature’s 2016 passage of the Massachusetts Equal Pay Act, which prohibited wage discrimination based on gender and brought long-sought fairness and equality to workplaces in the state. In Greater Boston, the 2023 gender wage gap was 21 cents, according to the Boston Women’s Workforce Council. This gap becomes more pronounced when comparing white men and women of color: Black women face a 54-cent wage gap and Hispanic women face a 52cent wage gap. REPRESENTATIVE DONATO DEMOCRAT MALDEN MEDFORD
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