Comparable Worth Noting!

This post from last year made it to 'Young Women Misbehavin' Top 10 blog list. That site is hosted by Business and Professional Women's Foundation. Are you ready for the 2012 legislative session! We are!

Here's the link again!

Its a quick synopsis of how we do pay equity in Minnesota.....very quick!

US District Court Orders Compensation Information

The U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia has ruled that United Space Alliance LLC must supply the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs with compensation information requested for a review of the company's Cape Canaveral, Fla., facility. The ruling upholds a Feb. 28 decision by the department's Office of Administrative Law Judges.

"Workplace discrimination is not universal, but it is far too common — and the people who suffer most are the American workers," said OFCCP Director Patricia A. Shiu. "At OFCCP, we are charged with identifying which federal contractors discriminate in their hiring and pay practices, and which are abiding by the law. We cannot serve our mission to protect workers if companies refuse to give us access to the records they promised to keep and share with us when they signed their contracts."

Bloomington League of Women Voters Pay Equity Reference Materials

Hello to attendees of the talk Patty Tanji gave on Nov. 1, 2011. As promised here are the links and documents referenced.

1. For the StarTribune Minneapolis Public School Article and the Pay Equity Coalition of Minnesota’s response:

http://womenpayequity.blogspot.com/2011/11/markets-pay-rates-are-not-system-of.html

2. The St. Louis Fed’s article regarding a dip in the 2nd quarter wage gap numbers with reasons for the wage gap. We caution the use of the word ‘choice’ in terms of employment. Women choose to be nurses, teachers, administrators rather than executives and engineers. Yes….to a certain extent. I often call this rationale for paying women less than men the ‘let them be plumbers’ argument.

http://stlouisfed.org/publications/re/articles/?id=2160&utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=SM&utm_campaign=Facebook#1

3. Stereotypes: Excerpts from Malcolm Gladwell’s book Blink can be found by clicking here

4. Catalyst research on the gender wage gap from Current Population Survey 2009 can be found by clicking here

5. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Women’s Earnings by Industry 2009 is here.

Thanks everyone! Email me at ptanji@aol.com if you want a paper copy of any of these reports mailed to you the traditional method.

In gratitude,

Patty

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.

Hay Rating System -- in Ontario and Minnesota

This is a great summary of how jobs are evaluated in Ontario. We use the same system in Minnesota

Maya Moore's Salary of the WNBA - Nuff Said

Thanks to Mpls/St.Paul BizJournal for including Maya in their 7 most underpaid athletes in Minnesota. 

Uncovering Wage Inequities in the Market Place

September 15, 3 pm. Uncover Gender Inequities in the Market Place. A teleconference.   You must click on the link and leave your name and email for call details.    

Eddy Lindenstein of PayScale will show us how their Insight tool helps determine market rates of pay and gender inequities inherent in the marketplace for wages. This tool is used by employees and employers alike.

The Pay Equity Coalition of Minnesota has long believed that market considerations (external equity) as well as how your salary compares to others at your workplace (internal equity) must be taken into account when setting wages. The state of Minnesota assigns job point values to each job class then ensures pay properly reflects that value. As was determined by Minnesota Taxpayer Association report published October, 2010:

"State employee wages are typically above market rates for positions requiring less

education while below market rates for positions with higher educational requirements."

The state's pay equity laws ensures there are no patterns of paying women less then men for jobs of similar job point value in the public sector.  

For Employers - This tool will show you how gender inequities exist in the market place for the same jobs in any market.   You will learn how wage benchmarking alone may be a trap leading to discriminatory wage practices.

For Employees - This tool will show the realities of gender wage discrepancies. Many employees use this as a starting point from which to begin salary negotiations.

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September 20, 12 pm - 2 pm, 2012 legislative session strategy meeting of the Pay Equity Coalition of Minnesota.   Lunch will be served. Everyone is welcome!  Please rsvp by responding to this email and stating 'yes -- I plan to attend'. Big conference room, basement, 550 Rice St., St. Paul.

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Plans are unfolding for a national/international conference on women, pay, and economic security.   Information regarding opportunities to partner with Patty Tanji of Open Workplace, LLC and/or help sponsor the event are forthcoming.  Contact patty.tanji@myopenworkplace for details.

Let's do it up Minnesota style!