Recently, Hattiesburg Ward 2 Councilwoman Deborah Delgado came across an ordinance from the city of Jackson establishing equal pay between men and women.
Borrowing from that concept during last Monday’s council work session, Delgado proposed a similar ordinance in Hattiesburg, particularly one that addresses the challenges women face when being considered for management or upper-level jobs.
“(Sometimes) there is a consideration given for previous salaries that you made, or the last salary that a person may have received,” she said. “And because of a history of discrimination against women in certain professions, women may not have the same high level of income in a similar position that a man may have had.
“So I wanted the city of Hattiesburg to make sure that we are a leader in making sure that women receive equal pay for equal work.”
The Jackson ordinance states that women consistently earn less than men for equal work, and basing wages on a worker’s previous pay serves to perpetuate wage inequality. As such, applicants who are asked about their current salary risk anchoring their future compensation to that salary, regardless of whether they are currently being paid fairly.
Therefore, the ordinance prohibits hiring practices that economically disadvantage women in the application and hiring process, and proclaims that race, sex, national origin and other prohibited classifications were not considered in the establishment of city workers’ compensation plans.
As per the ordinance, all persons hired by the city of Jackson must be compensated based on the plan of compensation adopted by Jackson City Council, and applications for the city of Jackson are not allowed to contain inquiries regarding prior salary history.
“I want us to consider that, so that we make sure that everyone gets equal pay for equal work,” Delgado said. “It caught my attention that women may not be able to answer and say that they’ve received a salary at a certain level, that men may be able to, because of a history of discrimination against women.
“So I would just like for my colleagues and the administration to consider that, and let us have a talk about it a little later.”
According to the National Women’s Law Center, women who work full-time and year-round in the United States are paid 80 cents to every dollar paid to their male counterparts. That gap amounts to an average loss of $10,086 per year for a working woman, or $403,440 over a 40-year career.
The Equal Pay Act of 1963, which was signed into law in June of that year by President John F. Kennedy, prohibits employers from paying wages to employees at a rate less than the rate at which he pays wages to employees of the opposite sex for equal work.
