News
Pay Not Equal in Oregon: Civil Rights Report
State labor agency says pay gap hurts whole state, not just women and people of color
T
he pay gap between women, people of color and their
male counterparts negatively impacts
short-term earnings, long-term savings,
housing security, health care and educational
opportunities, a new report from the Oregon
Council on Civil Rights finds.
The Council’s report to Labor Commissioner
Brad Avakian looks at contributing factors and
policy recommendations to achieve equal pay for
equal work. The Council will present findings to
the Oregon Legislature as a result of Oregon SB
744 (2013), authored and sponsored by Sen.
Chris Edwards (D-Eugene).
“Oregon’s wage gap doesn’t just hurt women
and people of color, it hurts everyone,” said
Sunny Petit, chair of the Oregon Council on Civil
Rights. “Our workforce is changing – with women serving
as the breadwinners or co-breadwinners for nearly two-
thirds of families across the country. This report highlights
new tools and recommendations for policymakers so that
we can end the pay gap and put Oregon families on stable
economic footing.”
In Oregon, women fare only slightly better than the
national average, earning 79 cents for every dollar that male
workers earn in the state. The disparity among women of
color is wider still: Hispanic and Latina women working
full time earned only 59 percent of the income of their white
male counterparts.
“There’s no one, overarching driver of the pay gap,”
Avakian says. “And no single policy recommendation alone
will eliminate the disparity. What it will take is focused,
ongoing attention – and commitment to building a stronger,
more equitable economy. Oregon does not have to accept
economic insecurity and inequality – nor should we wait for
Congress to act.”
Avakian says he will use the recommendations to inform
the agency’s development of an action plan to end Oregon’s
wage gap.
“It’s wrong that equally qualified women and men with
similar life experiences bring home very different pay-
checks for the same work,” said Sen. Edwards. “When we
close the pay gap – and strengthen the buying power of mil-
lions of Oregonians – that benefits families, communities,
and our economy as a whole.”
The report shows that in many of the top paying fields in
Oregon – such as engineering, computer and mathematics,
and law enforcement – males comprise more than 70 per-
cent of the field. However, in the only high-earning
category in which women hold a majority of positions –
professional health diagnosing and treating practitioners,
where women account for 70 percent of job holders – Ore-
gon women still earn only 64 cents to every dollar of their
male counterparts.
Pay Inequality in Oregon highlights major contributors to
pay inequality, including work-life barriers, educational
factors including disparities in Science, Technology, Engi-
neering and Mathematics (STEM) related study, and
workplace bias and discrimination. Expensive and inade-
quate child care, the difficulty of caring for a sick child or
family member, or the inability to take time off for a stu-
dent’s school-related activity all contribute to barriers for
women and working families.
The report notes that more than 60 percent of minimum
wage workers in Oregon are women, disproportionately
women of color.
The report’s policy recommendations include:
* Public outreach and awareness: Invest in technical
assistance for employers
* Educational and occupational initiatives: Increase
access to career training for women and people of color;
* Legislative: Implement family–friendly policies that
support working parents and caregivers; create new
protections against retaliation and discrimination;
expand child tax care credits
The Council’s work comes as national attention
from The Shriver Report, released earlier this
month, underscores the need for the nation “to mod-
ernize its relationship with women.” The Shriver
Report estimates that closing the wage gap between
men and women would cut poverty in half and add
nearly half a trillion dollars to the national econo-
-- Labor Commissioner Brad Avakian my.
“Closing the wage gap will be good for Oregon’s
economy,” said Cheryl Collins, Vice President of
Organizational Development at Ninkasi Brewing
Company. “The companies that are leading the way
* Workplace best practices: Create a toolkit for employers on equal pay for equal work understand that flexible and
to use to achieve equal pay; develop an award program for fair workplaces help attract and retain top talent.”
employers that are leading their sectors
encourage more diverse representation in STEM fields
‘Oregon does not have to accept
economic insecurity and inequality – nor
should we wait for Congress to act’
GET BREAKING NEWS FROM THE
SKANNER
at www.Facebook.com and www.Twit-
ter.com\TheSkannerNews
THE SKANNER ON YOUTUBE
You can view videos of interviews
from local stories on The Skanner's
new YouTube Channel at
ww.youtube.com/user/TheSkannerNews
February 5, 2014 The Portland Skanner Page 7