Nurses Attack Reagan Policy for Sexual Bias

The American Nurses’ Assn. and its Illinois affiliate today charged that the Reagan Administration’s opposition to their “comparable worth” lawsuit is part of a trend to undercut sex-discrimination laws.

The Justice Department last week filed a friend-of-court brief supporting the state of Illinois in its legal fight with nurses seeking to be paid on the basis of comparable worth--the concept of paying men and women equally for different jobs deemed to be of similar value.

“This is, unfortunately, part of what has been a trend since the last election, to try to undermine the discrimination laws that are on the books,” Edith Barnett, a Washington lawyer representing the nurses, said at a news conference.

‘84 Commercial Shown

She opened the news conference by showing a tape of a 1984 election campaign commercial in which a woman wearing a nurse’s uniform says the GOP has been fighting for pay equity.

“Interest rates are down. Inflation is down. And Republican leaders are working on equal pay for equal work,” the woman says. “Now, that’s important to me. I know my children will have a fair shake in the job market.”

Diana Rock, director of the women’s rights program for the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, said the union has already asked to intervene on the nurses side.