Vision: The
gender pay gap is eliminated.
Mission: Work
toward public policy that accomplishes the following:
·
Women are paid equally as men for work of
comparable value.
·
Work that is traditionally “women’s work” is
valued by society and paid accordingly.
·
Poverty among women and single-parent households
is reduced.
·
Women make choices and learn skills that result
in higher pay.
Causes of the Gender
Pay Gap:
·
Societal under-valuation of women-dominated
professions.
·
External comparisons of pay and job titles that
perpetuate past inequities.
·
A lack of attention by employers of internal pay differentials
by gender.
·
Job and educational degree segregation.
·
Non-union jobs leading to lack of employee
advocacy pertaining to pay.
·
Hours worked/attachment to workforce.
·
Salary negotiation skills.
·
Lack of employer transparency in employee
compensation.
·
Sex bias. Sex bias plays a role in each of the
above causes, but according to the U.S. Dept. of Labor, differences between workers
and their jobs explain about 60% of the pay gap, leaving 40% likely solely
attributable to gender discrimination.
·
Combined sex bias and racism dramatically increases
the effects of these factors on women of color and immigrant women.
Public Policy Agenda:
·
Encourage private industry to incorporate pay
equity principles.
o
State contractors’ pay equity legislation.
o
State certification of “fair pay employers.”
·
Increase minimum wage.
·
Prohibit retaliation for discussion of
compensation/require private employers to disclose salary range information.
·
Encourage
the Minnesota Dept. of Human Rights to provide more visible support for both
proactive and complaint-based efforts to enforce existing equal pay laws.
·
Affordable childcare.
·
Paid maternity and family leave.
·
Require employers to provide reasonable
accommodations for pregnant employees.
·
Appoint OESW Executive Director.
·
Legislative resolution calling upon Congress to
pass the Paycheck Fairness Act.
·
Encourage women and girls to pursue STEM
education and women entrepreneurs to start businesses in traditionally male
industries, including STEM industries.
·
Ensure that existing opportunities for
women-owned businesses through the state Disadvantaged Business Enterprise
program are properly and fairly administered.
·
Provide women with training in salary
negotiation skills.
·
Maintain and defend Minnesota’s state and local
government pay equity laws.
