On Thursday, March 28th, PowHer® New York in partnership with Community Service Society (CSS) and Legal Momentum sponsored an exciting and informative discussion about the “Next Steps in the Fight for Wage Equity: Expanding Salary Transparency.” 

CSS President David R Jones and PowHer® NY President Beverly Neufeld announced the publication of a comprehensive new resource on expanding pay transparency. We thank CSS for coordinating that effort and for hosting our community for this event.

> View our Pay Transparency Fact Sheet < 

In her remarks, special guest New York City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams expressed strong support for the equal pay movement and endorsed efforts to create pay transparency to “get women our dollar.” 

Emerita Torres, Vice President of CSS moderated a wide-ranging conversation that included Sharon Sewell-Fairman, President and CEO of Women Creating Change (WCC) who discussed WCC’s recent report on the New York pay gap.  Seher Khawaja, Director of Economic Justice at Legal Momentum, explained New York’s salary range disclosure law, implemented beginning in September of 2023, and laid out changes that must be made to improve the law.

NYC Chief Equity Officer & Commissioner Sideya Sherman, of the Mayor’s Office of Equity & Racial Justice, discussed 2019 NYC Local Law 18’s requirement to analyze pay disparities among New York City employees. She also underscored NYC’s mandate to examine equal pay for work of equal value.  Offering the business perspective, Lorraine Hariton, CEO of Catalyst Inc., talked about salary range transparency and the benefits transparency can bring to businesses, as well as data reporting requirements in Europe.

Next actions include advocacy for an upcoming NY City Council bill amending the salary range transparency law, proposed by Council Member Selvena Brooks-Powers. As well, everyone is asked to join the fight to pass the NYS Equal Rights Amendment.