Schumer Urges Outlawing Gender-Based Wage Discrimination

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) -- U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer is calling for passage of legislation to outlaw gender-based pay discrimination.

The New York Democrat told reporters Sunday he's urging Congress "to pass the Paycheck Fairness Act, which says something very simple: Man and a woman who do the same job should get the same pay."

Schumer noted that a recent study shows that unfairness even extends to nursing, where males are paid more than female counterparts.

The Journal of the American Medical Association study examined salary trends by gender from 1988 to 2008 from a national sample survey of registered nurses.

It shows males earning about $5,100 a year more on average, though females comprise most of the profession.

According to Schumer, on average, women in the U.S. make about 78 cents for every dollar made by men.

"The Paycheck Fairness Act, which we must finally pass, is an important piece of legislation that helps put an end to the shocking pay gap that currently exists between men and women," the senator said.

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