An Examination of the Status of Comparable Worth in the State of Michigan

Abstract

For decades, women's pay has been approximately two-thirds that of men's. In 1955 women made 64 percent of what men made; by 1970 they made only 59 percent. In 1987 it was 65 Percent. The latest statistic from the Census Bureau is that women who worked full-time, year-round in 1988 earned 66 cents for every dollar their male counterparts make. (Figures for 1989 are not yet available.) The problem this creates is poverty among women and children is one of the most compelling social facts of our society. The American working woman is increasingly the head of her household, or the sole breadwinner in almost one out of every six families. In 1988, 65 percent all women with children under 18 worked outside the home, and by 1995, four out of five school-age children will have mothers in the labor force. Since it is projected that women and people of color will comprise 85 percent of all new entrants into the labor force between now and the year 2000 examining discriminatory wage-setting practices in the present makes good business sense. The United States is 3rd behind Scandinavian and Canada among western democracies in its dependence on female workers. Over the past decade, much progress has been made in addressing wage discrimination based on race and sex, particularly in the public sector. According to a 1989 survey by the National Committee on Pay Equity, 45 state governments, including the District of Columbia, have taken steps to address pay equity or comparable worth. At the urging of unions, women’s organizations and a growing number of civil rights organizations, twenty-three states have initiated pay equity studies and twenty state governments have begun making wage and salary adjustments to eliminate sex and race-based wage inequities. A total of over 1,700 counties, cities, school districts, community colleges and universities have taken steps to address comparable worth.