Timeline of Crucial Wage Gap Legislation
Click on a year to find out more about the legislation released that year that helped advance the rights or minorities and attempted to close the wage gap.
NB: EO is the shorthand for Executive Order.
Executive Order 11246
"Nondiscrimination in Government Employment, Nondiscrimination in Employment by Government Contractors and Subcontractors, and Nondiscrimination Provisions in Federally Assisted Construction Contracts."
Details
Signing Date: September 24, 1965
President in Office: Lyndon B. Johnson
Background: Accompanying the Civil Rights Act of 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson was envisioning a "Great Society", and was extremely involved with the Civil Rights Movement. This Executive Order followed up EO 10479 and was implemented to address a different section of discrimination then the Civil Rights Act.
The EO and its Achievements: The EO, like the many others before it, addressed Federal contracts and the use of affirmative action in large firms. It set stricter guidelines for contractors with contracts of more than $10,000. It stated that these contractors had to keep documents detailing hiring and employment practices which could be requested at any moment.
The EO was enforced by the Labor's Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP), which protected and is currently protecting about 20% of the workforce. It requires contractors to analzye themselves and ensure they are promoting affirmative action. The OFCCP also answers to discrimination complaints.
Working hand-in-hand with the Civil Rights Act of 1964, this EO helped greatly increase awareness of the wage gap, and tried to help eliminate it. It did improve conditions for the working class, and set the standard for US legislation dealing with the issue. It paved the way for other EOs and Civil Rights Acts.