Equal Pay Act of 1963
In 1942, Republican congresswoman Winifred C. Stanley from Buffalo, N.Y. introduced H.R. 5056, Prohibiting Discrimination in Pay on Account of Sex, which did not pass at the time. The issue languished until 10 June 1963, when Congress passed the Equal Pay Act ("EPA" or the "Act") as an amendment to the Fair Labor Standards Act, to "prohibit discrimination on account of sex in the payment of wages by employers."
Winifred C. Stanley
Stanley was a large advocate for women's rights in the society and in the workplace as made very clear in her demonstration against the New York Judicial System. She continued this work in her position in Congress by introducing the first equal pay for equal work bill on June 19, 1944. Stanley did this through the form of a bill to amend the NLRA (National Labor Relations Act of 1935). Her proposed amendment would include the provision of making it unlawful to discriminate against any employee on account of sex(HR 5056). Stanley made clear that she wanted to maintain in "peacetime the drive and energy which women have contributed to the war." She introduced HR 5056 to the house floor with the accompanying statement, "It has often been remarked that this is a 'man's world.' The war and its far-reaching effects have provided the answer. It's 'our world,' and this battered old universe needs and will need the best brains and ability of both men and women." Despite her efforts, the bill was referred to the Committee on Labor where it expired and was never made into law.