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Benefits October 4, 2010
Port Authority of NY and NJ Face Pay Disparity Suit
October 4, 2010 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey violated federal law by paying its female non-supervisory attorneys less than male attorneys, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) charges.
Reported by Rebecca Moore
In a lawsuit, the agency alleges the Port Authority commits this pay disparity even though the females perform work that requires the same skill, effort and responsibility. The suit says gender-based pay disparities exist regardless of the job assignment, length of service, or date of bar admission.
In addition, the EEOC charges that the Port Authority used age as a basis to fire its older attorneys while simultaneously filling its ranks with significantly younger attorneys. Two women over 40 years of age, with considerable experience with the Port Authority, were terminated, according to the suit, purportedly as part of the Port Authority’s agencywide “reduction in force.”
A news release notes this conduct violates the Equal Pay Act (EPA), which prohibits considerations of sex as a basis for paying different wages for the same work, and the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), which prohibits age discrimination in employment.
The suit filed in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York is Case No. 10 Civ 7462.