REMARKS
Council Member Nantasha M. Williams opens committee hearing on pay disparity and occupational segregation within municipal workforce
0:08:29
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3 min
Council Member Nantasha M. Williams opens the committee hearing by expressing the unacceptability of continued pay gaps and occupational segregation affecting city employees.
- She highlights findings from the Equal Employment Practices Commission (EEPC) reports identifying trends like occupational segregation along gender and racial lines, with higher-paying roles overrepresented by male and white employees.
- Williams notes disproportionate headcount reductions impacting agencies staffed primarily by women and people of color, as well as higher attrition rates for these groups in certain agencies.
- She emphasizes the need to consider the city's impact on pay equity holistically, including the large contractor workforce providing city services.
- Williams thanks staff and the data team for their work preparing the hearing focused on the pay disparity report's findings.
Nantasha M. Williams
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Thank you, Chair.
0:08:30
Good afternoon, everyone.
0:08:31
My name is Natasha Williams, and I serve as chair to the committee on civil and human rights.
0:08:36
I also want to start by thanking my colleagues, Chair Lewis, and Chair Dela Rosa, for organizing this important hearing today.
0:08:44
First and foremost, I want to echo my colleagues in saying that the continued pay gaps and occupational segregation within our municipal workforce are unacceptable.
0:08:53
The city is obligated to fix these inequities, and I look forward to hearing from the administration today about the work that remains to achieve this goal.
0:09:00
I won't repeat what my colleagues have said, but I do want to draw attention to the fact that the paid disparity report at the center of this hearing is not the only evidence we have of inequities affecting city employees.
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Reports from the Equal Employment Practices Commission or EEPC for short, which audits every city agency on a 4 year cycle identify similar trends as this year's paid disparity example.
0:09:26
I'm lying.
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Paid disparity report slipped the back.
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For example, the EUPC has repeatedly found that significant occupational Segregation occurs between and within agencies, and that agencies and job titles were male and white employees are overrepresented tend to have higher pay.
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In contrast, agencies and roles where women and people of color are overrepresented tend to have lower pay even where those roles require higher levels of education or experience.
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The EEPC has also identified disproportionate headcount reductions in agencies primarily staffed by women and people of color.
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What's more?
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The agencies that under hire women in people of color also have higher attrition rates for those groups.
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Which further compounds in equities within the city's workforce.
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These trends date back to at least 2019 before the pandemic.
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I look forward today to hearing more about how EUPC's findings can complement and deepen our understanding of the pay disparity report's findings and about our current or planned efforts to address these egregious, long standing, and equities.
0:10:31
In addition, while the paid disparity report only includes data for work is employed directly by the city.
0:10:36
A discussion of the city's responsibilities for pay equity is not complete with mentioning the large number of contractors who perform work for the city.
0:10:46
While the city does not directly determine employment terms for city contractors, the city budget does make sector specific allocations and can determine contractors pay increases for cost of living adjustments.
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These contractors perform a wide range of work on behalf of city.
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Government, for example, an estimated 90 percent of human services programming, including critical and court mandated services, are provided by the nonprofit sector under contracts with the city.
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What we know about these contracts suggest that the same pay disparities and occupational segregation that we see as city agencies are replicated or even amplified among contractors.
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Current and future efforts from city government, including the EEPC, The mayor's office of equity and racial justice, and the pay equity cabinet must keep the holistic impact of city policies in mind as they work with agencies towards making the city a more equitable place to work and live.
0:11:42
Finally, before we begin, I would like to think would like to thank my staff Ameribadi, Whitney Mosak Nader, as well as committee staff for the committee on civil and human rights, Jessica and Liam for their hard work and preparing today's hearing.
0:11:55
I also want to reiterate my colleague's appreciation for the council's data team for putting together the paid disparity report that is subject of today's hearing.
0:12:03
Now I'll turn it back to chair Delarosa.
