Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!apple!usc!ucla-cs!uci-ics!md1y+@andrew.cmu.edu
From: md1y+@andrew.cmu.edu (Matthew William Daly)
Newsgroups: soc.feminism
Subject: Re: Job categories and pay scales.
Message-ID: <18184@paris.ics.uci.edu>
Date: 19 Jun 89 06:59:05 GMT
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Organization: Mathematics, Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh, PA
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Approved: tittle@ics.uci.edu


Basic situation -- consider two people:

A gets hired as a secretary, has a HS diploma and very little relevant
job experience.  His starting salary is $4 an hour.

B gets hired to change light bulbs in traffic signals.  He has a HS
diploma and little relevant job experience.  His starting salary is
$5.75 an hour.

(To stave off pronoun attacks, both of these are jobs that I have held
in my colorful career.  I am speaking personally, and use "he"
masculinely, not generically.)

I can assure you that it takes no more effort or intelligence to hold
either of these jobs, and yet B gets paid over 40% more!

The question before us is whether it is reasonable for pay equity to
be introduced -- whether Person A should be paid $5.75 for the work he
does.

=============

Looking at the situation from a theoretical viewpoint, I think that
the point that is being made is that people who put the same amount of
effort into the work world should be paid the same amount of money.
If this is truly the rationale, then a more reasonable first step
should be attempted first.  An unwritten assumption here is that all
secretaries do the same amount of work.  Would we first pass laws that
all secretaries should be paid the same?

=============

Instead of doing away with a capitalistic system in favor of one where
the government sets pay scales, I think that we should look at the
people who would benefit from pay equity, and see if there isn't an
alternate method of helping them increase their salaries.

Person X is being paid $5.00 to make widgets, and they think they
deserve $6.00.  X goes to their boss, who refuses to give a raise.
Person X, at this point, should find a company that feels that an
experienced widget-maker deserves $6.00 and move there.  If there is
no such company, then X should get training to move to a field that
pays better, or should organize a widget-maker's strike, or should
better their education in order to become a widget-making-manager.

=================

(Obligatory women's issue) It has struck me that the reason that pay
equity comes across as a feminist issue is that women in general are
not willing to take steps like jumping to another company.  Is this a
valid observation?  If so, how can we correct it?

Constructive comments are welcome, of course.

  -Matthew