Tucson will study an equal pay policy that would ensure women working for the city as employees or contractors are paid the same wages as their male counterparts.
The Tucson City Council directed the city Human Resources Department to take up the issue and return with policy recommendations.
Council Member Regina Romero said the policy could be similar to one the Phoenix City Council passed in March.
The council held a study session on the issue Wednesday, and the city will work with the Tucson/Pima County Women’s Commission and the Women’s Foundation of Southern Arizona, Romero said.
“This is a critical issue, and we applaud the City Council for taking this on,” said Dawne Bell, CEO of the foundation. “Anything we can do to promote equal pay is a benefit for the city and shows that our community values equality.”
The federal Equal Pay Act already sets rules about fair wages among men and women, but the reality is that women are paid less, Romero said.
Women in the civilian workforce in Tucson earn a median wage of $23,148, while men earn a median $28,019, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
Additionally, in Arizona, 79 percent of single-parent families with income below the poverty line are headed by women, Bell said.
Only one in five of the jobs most commonly held by women in Arizona pays a living wage, foundation research found.
Those factors makes unequal pay an economic development issue for Tucson, Romero said. “It’s not about feel-good policy. It’s about our economy.”
The city could require contractors to show they have policies and practices to pay women equal wages, Romero said.
“We have to make it clear this is important to the city when tax dollars are being used,” she said.
Meanwhile, the city’s own Equal Opportunities program will look at pay internally, said Curry Hale, human resources director.
In March the Phoenix City Council unanimously approved wording changes to city ordinances that restate the federal law and spell out how it applies to city issues.
And in May, the Albuquerque City Council passed a pay equality ordinance that gives contracting preference to businesses that can show they offer equal pay to their workers.
