It is about equal work

I cannot keep silent after reading Mona Charen’s April 17 column about the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. She states, “But those global comparisons fail to account for key distinctions such as the competitiveness of the industries, work experience, and crucially, hours worked per week. Women consistently work fewer hours than men (for excellent reasons such as caring for children).”

Agh! I am so weary of some people implying that women who are unfairly paid believe they should receive the same annual salary as a man doing the same job even if they work fewer hours during the year. Wake up!

In some businesses and industries, women who are doing exactly the same job as their male counterparts, with the same work experience and quality of work, are being paid less per hour. You know it’s happening.

It’s been my experience that most ordinary people will not go through the agony of legal action unless there is really a problem that needs to be addressed. (I’m talking about ordinary people here, not those whose lives revolve around causing trouble.) So please, when discussing this subject, be sure you’re truly discussing equal work.

Debra L. Miller

Coeur d’Alene