RELEASE: Treasurer Goldberg Announces Statewide Advisory Committee On Wage Equality

Treasurer Deborah B. Goldberg today announced a new statewide, public-private sector advisory committee on wage equality, bringing together best practices from across the state to develop innovative strategies to address the Commonwealth’s wage gap. Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh, a leader on wage equity through his Women’s Workforce Council, will serve as the honorary chair of the committee.

“Pay equity is not a partisan issue, nor solely a women’s issue. It is a family issue, and it affects the economic health and well-being of our entire state,” said Treasurer Deborah Goldberg. “This committee will develop concrete strategies and highlight best practices from both the private and public sectors so that the Commonwealth can address this critical economic issue and lead the nation in implementing wage equality initiatives.”

“We need to stop talking about wage equality and take action. I am proud of the work my office is doing to close the wage gap and excited to support Treasurer Goldberg and her efforts to bring together stakeholders to identify ways to make lasting strides on this important issue," said Mayor Walsh. "Closing the wage gap is not just simply about increasing women's salaries, it's complex, and must be tackled for women, and for families. This is government leading by example, working to change the culture around women’s pay, and moving the conversation forward.”

In creating the Advisory Committee on Wage Equality, Treasurer Goldberg announced five central goals to address the state’s wage gap, where today women in Massachusetts earn just 82 cents on the dollar, African-American women earn 61 cents, and Latina woman earn just 50 cents.

• Provide government agencies with tools to review their pay structure, putting a clear focus on pay equity in every hiring decision and salary offer
• Develop a wage equality tool kit for businesses who want to enact equal pay;
• Plan a statewide conference for April 2016, that will bring policymakers, businesses, and organizations together to share best practices to close the wage gap;
• Organize regional roundtables across the state to get input from businesses on how to make a public-private partnership work;
• Launch a state-run equal pay website, which will serve as a one stop shop for employers and employees. The website will include the wage equality tool kit, a salary calculator, facts about the wage gap, and a pay equity FAQ page.

Founding members of the Treasurer’s Advisory Committee on Wage Equality include Congresswoman Katherine Clark, Dr. Kerry Healey, Dr. Jeffrey Leiden, Cathy Minehan, and Steve Tolman. Former Lt. Governor Evelyn Murphy, a national expert on implementing wage equality practices and author of Getting Even: Why Women Don't Get Paid Like Men & What to Do About It, will serve as a senior advisor to the Committee.

“For women and their families, a lifetime of wage discrimination can amount to hundreds of thousands of dollars less for food, school, or planning for the future,” said Congresswoman Katherine Clark. “Ultimately, our economy pays the price when women do not get the pay they deserve. I’m honored to be part of a team that is committed to the Commonwealth’s leadership in the fight to close the unacceptable wage gap.”

“Women and the work they do are the financial foundation of so many families across our Commonwealth, and working to close the wage gap is key to family economic well-being,” said Kate Walsh, President and CEO, Boston Medical Center. “I’m honored to participate in this effort and thank Treasurer Goldberg and Mayor Walsh for their leadership on this critical issue.”

Members of the Treasurer’s Advisory Committee on Wage Equality 
Elizabeth Barajas-Roman, Chief Executive Office, Women’s Fund of Massachusetts
Congresswoman Katherine Clark
Catherine D’Amato, Greater Boston Food Bank
Carol Fulp, President and CEO, The Partnership
Dr. Kerry Healey, President of Babson College
Gloria Cordes Larson, President, Bentley College
Dr. Jeffrey Leiden, Chairman, President, and CEO of Vertex Pharmaceuticals
Cathy Minehan, Dean, Simmons School of Management
J. Keith Motley, Chancellor UMass Boston
Joyce A. Murphy, Executive Vice Chancellor, Commonwealth Medicine, UMass Medical School
James Roosevelt Jr., Chief Executive Officer, Tufts Health Plan
Henry Thomas III, President and CEO, Urban League of Springfield, INC
Steven A. Tolman, President, Massachusetts AFL-CIO
Reverend Liz Walker
Kate Walsh, President and CEO of Boston Medical Center
Beth Williams, President and CEO Roxbury Technology, LLC

People or organizations wishing to get involved can get more information by logging onto www.mass.gov/treasury or by following the twitter hashtag #EqualPayMA.

On day one, Treasurer Goldberg created an Office of Economic Empowerment led by a deputy treasurer with the deliberate goal of incorporating a range of initiatives, including financial literacy, college affordability, and programming to support wage equality.