Resolution _________________

A RESOLUTION affirming the City of Seattle's commitment to gender equity, and the implementation of comprehensive measures to achieve equity at the City of Seattle and throughout our community.

WHEREAS, racial and gender-based disparities persist in employment at the City of Seattle and across the Seattle region;

WHEREAS, in 2013 a National Partnership for Women and Families report revealed that women in the Seattle region earn 73 cents for every dollar a man earns, and an initial City of Seattle review demonstrated that women working for the City earn 90.5cents for every dollar a man earns, with that number dropping when race is reviewed along with gender;

WHEREAS, there currently is not a mechanism in the City to examine the impact of sexual orientation or gender identity on earnings as that demographic data is not collected;

WHEREAS, examining the intersection of race and gender, along with other information that is available, provides a more accurate view of disparities and barriers to equity, and focusing on the most affected populations will help to lift the entire community;

WHEREAS, the City of Seattle has the Race and Social Justice Initiative in place that has been broadly adopted and accepted throughout the City and community, including aspects such as training and workshops, policy analysis, community outreach and the Race and Social Justice Toolkit, which may serve as a transferrable model for future efforts to achieve gender equity;

WHEREAS, the City of Seattle has a strong foundation for equity, including policies of non-discrimination and anti-harassment for our City employees, that includes more protected classes than in State and Federal law, excellent Family and Medical Leave Assistance and Paid Sick and Safe Time benefits, and an exceptional benefits package;

WHEREAS, the Gender Equity in Pay Task Force recently released a report on disparities in pay for City of Seattle employees and submitted it to the Mayor and City Council; and

WHEREAS, practices and policies related to performance management, such as performance evaluation, goal setting, progressive discipline, management training and leadership development, have direct impact on workplace equity and are most adequately assessed through a Citywide lens;

WHEREAS, in addition to standard methods of recruitment, such as advertising and job postings, effective recruitment to diverse and under-represented populations requires outreach and establishment of trusting, long-term relationships with the community and requires an investment by the City's time and resources;

WHEREAS, the Mayor and City Council believe equity is the cornerstone of a thriving democracy and the internal actions of local government that contribute to the health and well-being of everyone in our city; and

WHEREAS, local government leadership is necessary to achieve equity in the community, and it is also necessary for local government to work in collaboration with regional and national partners, both within government and across sectors; NOW, THEREFORE,

BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SEATTLE, THE MAYOR CONCURRING, THAT:

Section 1. Gender Equity in Pay Report. The Mayor and City Council express appreciation to the Gender Equity in Pay Task Force for their commitment to addressing gender based disparities in City government and throughout Seattle.

Section 2. Addressing Gender-Based Disparity and Achieving Equity Within the City of Seattle. The Mayor and City Council request the following:

A. The Personnel Department will work with all City Departments to provide a deeper analysis of City-wide gender data, specifically overlaying an analysis of race, age, sexual orientation, gender identity and other demographic information.

B. Where disparities exist, the Personnel Department and the Seattle Office for Civil Rights (SOCR) will identify policies and practices that may contribute to disparities, make recommendations for pay, practice and policy adjustments based on findings, examine the root causes of institutionalized barriers to equity and identify strategies to implement transformational change.

C. SOCR and the Personnel Department will develop training and strategies that address gender equity in the workplace, with a focus on institutional and structural sexism, and the intersections of race, gender and gender identity. To measure the efficacy of training and strategies to achieve gender equity, SOCR will develop and conduct periodic surveys among City employees.

D. The Personnel Department will partner with the City Council to conduct a study on Paid Parental Leave, and identify potential strategies to provide Paid Parental Leave upon determining best practices.

E. The City, through the Personnel Department, will review, modify and/or propose additional "family friendly" policies and practices where applicable and appropriate, and take steps to effectively communicate such policies and practices City-wide.

F. The Personnel Department will investigate revising the City's employee information collection process to include an option to identify transgender employees.

G. The Personnel Department will work with other City Departments to determine how to implement a more consistent City-wide approach to performance management and employee discipline that can be leveraged to further more equitable treatment of employees throughout the City.

H. The Personnel Department will work with SOCR to incorporate a centralized City-wide leadership and management development program to drive equitable and fair treatment of employees throughout the City and provide targeted and increased opportunities for career growth for individuals in under-represented employee groups. The Personnel Department and SOCR will seek Council approval for the additional staff resources needed to develop this program.

I. The Personnel Department will dedicate a new staff person to creating and managing a program for outreach and recruitment to diverse and under-represented populations. This position will collaborate with other City Departments to share best practices and assist in recruitment strategies. The Personnel Department will also leverage partnerships with OIRA and DON to establish relationships in the community.

J. SOCR and the Personnel Department will continue to co-lead the Workforce Equity Planning and Advisory Committee, working to ensure that all hiring and promotional activities are fair and equitable, both in process and in outcomes.

The City will work with its Labor partners to implement changes in compensation and working conditions envisioned by the proposed actions.

Section 3. Gender Equity Initiative. The Mayor and City Council will launch a regional initiative to address gender disparities under the following framework:

A. The Mayor's Office, in cooperation with the Chair of the City Council's Parks, Seattle Center, Libraries and Gender Pay Equity Committee, will lead City efforts to create a regional coalition to address gender inequities within the private sector and through the community and region. The City will support this volunteer-based program by developing best practices, a gender equity toolkit and partnerships that positively showcase progressive, equity-driven businesses and organizations. The Mayor's Office will coordinate with SOCR and the Personnel Department to develop a model of inclusion, collaboration and cooperation with the Seattle community and region.

B. The City will incorporate a gender equity lens in citywide initiatives, such as legislation to increase the minimum wage, with the Seattle community and region.

C. The City will use its 2014 State Legislative Priorities to encourage statewide legislation that supports working women and families, including Paid Sick and Safe Time, Family and Medical Leave Insurance, Reproductive Parity and others.

D. The City will participate in a regional effort to identify and address position-based disparities in compensation based on race, gender, or other protected bases.

Section 4. Seattle City Council Action. The Council will carry out the following steps to advance gender pay equity work:

A. The Council President and the Chair of the Parks, Seattle Center, Libraries, and Equity Committee will request that each Committee Chair hold briefings and discussions on wage disparities and efforts to reduce those gaps in the departments they oversee. This will build a foundation of knowledge among Councilmembers on the causes of wage disparities and how the Council should approach the problem, department by department.

B. The Parks, Seattle Center, Libraries, and Equity Committee will monitor the City's efforts on gender equity and take actions to advance the work and ensure it continues.

Adopted by the City Council the ____ day of ____________________, 2014, and signed by me in open session in authentication of its adoption this________ day

of ______________________, 2014.

_________________________________

President ___________of the City Council

THE MAYOR CONCURRING:

_________________________________

Edward B. Murray, Mayor

Filed by me this ____ day of ________________________, 2014.

____________________________________

Monica Martinez Simmons, City Clerk

(Seal)

Susan Coskey/Patricia Lally/Mike Fong MO Gender Equity RES April 1, 2014 Version #2