July 30, 2024
Cleveland Pay Equity Alliance aims to reduce gender and racial pay gaps
Our strategy and mission at Collaborate Cleveland is to invest in local changemakers serving women+ and gender justice while working toward the long-term change of policies and practices that have historically disadvantaged women+.
As we started looking at policy and advocacy issues around women’s economic status and mobility, and through conversations with our advisory committee and community members, we found that the gender and racial pay gap remains a persistent factor in determining financial outcomes for women.
The facts are clear: for every dollar earned by white men in the United States…1
- All women on average earn 73¢
- AANHPI women earn 80¢ 2
- White women earn 80¢
- Black women earn 69¢
- Native and Indigenous women earn 59¢ 3
- Latina women earn 57¢
This is unacceptable.
In a 2022 survey, 76% of women voters—across all political parties—said that stronger equal pay laws for women were very important or one of the most important things Congress could do. 4
In an effort to take steps to address this persistent problem and propose actionable local interventions, this year we joined forces with the Northeast Ohio Workers Center to form and co-lead The Cleveland Pay Equity Alliance.
The Cleveland Pay Equity Alliance is listening and taking action right here in our Cleveland community.
How pay equity legislation is affecting change
There are proven policy interventions that effectively combat pay discrimination and reduce gender pay gaps, like pay transparency legislation and salary history bans. Pay transparency legislation requires employers to post salary ranges while hiring and salary history bans make it illegal to request applicant’s salary histories.
As of today, 21 states have passed pay transparency laws in the U.S. 5
Colorado implemented pay transparency legislation in 2021, leading to a 6.8% reduction in the gender pay gap, compared to a 2% reduction in states without pay transparency laws. 6
It’s also important to note that, as reflected by the data, the wage gap narrowed because women are being paid more, not because men are being paid less.
What our peer cities are doing
While the State of Ohio does not have pay transparency legislation, Ohio cities have been taking action. Cincinnati, Toledo, and most recently Columbus have passed components of pay transparency legislation, including requiring employers to provide the pay range for a job upon an applicant’s request and banning employers from asking a job applicant for their salary history.
In 2019, Cincinnati was the first Ohio city to implement a salary history ban. Supporters said that this legislation is a key recommendation from equity and human resource experts and demonstrates the city as a welcoming and inclusive community, attracting top-tier talent for businesses. 7
Help us keep the momentum going
Visit our pay equity advocacy page to learn more about the gender and racial pay gaps and how you can help advocate for change.
If you are interested in joining the Cleveland Pay Equity Alliance or sharing your story about pay discrimination, contact us at hello@collabcle.org.
Join us in our work for pay equity—For Women. For Community. For All.
