Women’s groups push pay equity plan at Capitol

02/20/2007

Star Tribune
Last update: February 19, 2007


Equal pay laws that apply to state and local governments would be extended to private contractors doing business with the state, under a proposal outlined Monday by leaders of women's advocacy groups.

After years of efforts under gender equity laws, or "comparable worth" initiatives, women in state and local government now earn 97 cents for every dollar men make, said Patty Tanji, president of the Pay Equity Coalition of Minnesota.

Meanwhile, in the overall workforce, the gender gap lags behind at about 75 cents for women, Tanji said. While the proposal would apply to only the 1,800 companies that do business with the state, "it's a step in the right direction," she said.

A spokesman for the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce said pay equity mandates are unnecessary. Tom Hesse said studies have shown that the gender gap in pay is due mostly to factors not related to discrimination.

"When you take into consideration the difference in occupations that men and women choose, and length of time on the job, there really is no wage gap," he said.

The pay equity proposal was one of more than a dozen being supported by leaders of women's groups at the State Capitol on Monday.

Dubbing their effort "Presidents on Presidents Day," the presidents or top officials of more than 22 women's groups said they are coalescing at the Legislature to push for: increasing women's pay and workforce flexibility, providing health insurance to an estimated 343,000 uncovered Minnesotans, reducing violence against women, and providing improved health care and more affordable birth control and family planning services.