Markets Pay Rates Are Not a System of Values or Worth

The Minneapolis School Board had a $165,000 compensation study done recently that has proven to be controversial.  The results of the study indicated that some of the good folks (teachers were excluded) in the Minneapolis school district like clerical and food service (mostly women) were being paid 'over market rates' while others were being paid 'under market rates'. The October 27, 2011 Star Tribune article is here: 

http://www.startribune.com/local/minneapolis/132755748.html

Here's the Pay Equity Coalition of Minnesota's response:

The whole point of the pay equity law was to challenge the notion that pay should be set "according to the market" - which really just means paying what everybody else pays, but is far from scientific or objective and invariably incorporates historic bias against all marginalized groups.