Repost: Dayton signs law to give women a better workplace

Governor Mark Dayton of Minnesota recently signed a law that requires state contractors to provide equal pay regardless of gender and expands benefits for parents working in the construction field. This is the first law of this kind in the country! Here's a clip from a recent Star Tribune article, describing the bill:

"The Women’s Economic Security Act, comprised of nine separate pieces of legislation, won legislative approval last week with bipartisan support. It forces about 1,000 state contractors to certify that they pay men and women equally for similar jobs, extends parental leave from six to 12 weeks and requires employers to make new accommodations for expectant and new mothers.

Dayton signed the bill surrounded by women at an event at the governor’s reception room. Women’s groups fought hard for the package.
'Nothing else like this is happening in the nation,' said Lee Roper-Batker, president of the Women’s Foundation of Minnesota. 'I have to tell you the nation is watching and cheering … right now'" (Roper, 11 May 2014).

Visit http://www.startribune.com/ to read the full article and visit http://wdoc.house.leg.state.mn.us to read a full description of this bill.