A bill that would take steps toward closing a gap in pay between men and women working for Montgomery County was supported Tuesday afternoon during a County Council hearing.
“I strongly support this important bill, which, if passed, will begin to remedy longstanding disparities between men and women in this county,” said Somerset Mayor Jeffrey Slavin, who was joined by other residents calling for its passage. “Montgomery County needs to be a leader in this area.”
Earlier this month, At-large council member Evan Glass introduced the bill that would prohibit the county from requesting a job candidate’s salary history and presented data gathered by county officials showing female county employees earn about 79 cents to every $1 earned by their male counterparts.
Under the proposed legislation, which does not apply to contractors, applicants could volunteer their salary history if they believed it would help justify a higher pay. The bill also requires the county executive to provide bi-annual reports about county employee pay inequities.
Former District 19 state Del. Marice Morales, an attorney, said she has seen tactics that discourage women from demanding the pay they believe they deserve every day, an issue that disproportionately affects minority women.
County data shows Latinas are the most adversely affected, earning 47 cents for every $1 men earn.
Morales said if Montgomery County passes the bill, it sets the stage for success for similar statewide legislation.
“When we sponsor legislation on the state level that is unprecedented, we have to rely on willy nilly numbers out of the blue, but if a county passes legislation with those numbers and data, then the state has something to work off of,” Morales said. “We need Montgomery County to lead on this.”
The eight other members of the County Council have signed on as co-sponsors of the bill, condemning the disparities that Council President Nancy Navarro said “seems to be a systemic issue.”
Lisette Engel, executive director of The Dwelling Place, a nonprofit that advocates for low-income communities, said using salary history to determine employee pay perpetuates disparities between men and women. She urged the county to go further in its pursuit of equity and explore legislation that provides minority women opportunities to thrive, such as affordable child care.
“Structural racism doesn’t let certain groups get ahead,” Engel said. “By prohibiting the use of salary history … those who have faced previous discrimination based on gender or race will be in a better situation to improve their conditions.”
