Comments

1
At City Light, the highest paid positions are lineworkers and engineers (both electrical and software). While there are certainly women engineers at City Light, the competition for engineers in this region is fierce, and the pay at CL is generally lower than what they can make in the private sector. Since they are union jobs, there's not much that can be done to incentivize women into these positions. The real answer is for society to have more women in engineering in general.

As for lineworkers, the classic "lineman" role (the person climbing the pole) is extremely physically taxing and people of both genders have trouble meeting the requirements. Plus, since seniority is based on overtime, it is more difficult for people in these roles to make the higher wages if they have childcare concerns - it's hard enough to find an affordable daycare for a regular 9-5 job, imagine what it's like to find someone to take the kids at 3:30 in the morning during a storm. Women are more likely to find themselves in that predicament than men.

There are certain electrical journey level jobs that pay about the same, but have a much more reliable schedule and are less physically taxing. Meter electricians, for instance, work a M-F schedule, and since there is little overtime, there is equal footing between the people with childcare obligations and those without. Maybe the solution there is to highlight that more in the recruitment efforts.

The gender pay gap is real, and it's nice that the city is trying to do something, but it would be even nicer if the council really looked into what is causing these inequities at the departmental level.
2
Here's my question..who in this world thinks they get equal pay for equal work?

What employee doesn't think he works harder than his co-workers.

What boss doesn't think he's worth more than his boss, or his boss's boss.

There are people in blogs who present ideas as good or better than those of billionaires.

How many great artists starved while the poetasters ate steak?

Out of college, in a terrible job market of 1982, I did telephone market research in Manhattan. Getting out at midnight for the ride back to Queens, I was accompanied by scores of washerwomen. I often thought -- how hard they work. And every night on a dangerous subway. How much are they work. Are they paid equally.

I've love for there to be Equal Pay for Equal Work. But define work. Define pay. Define...equality.
4
whitey dear, if "climbing a fucking pole" is so easy, why don't you go out and climb one? Make sure you go to the very top, and grab one of the three wires with your bare hands. Better yet, grab two of them.

If that is beyond your physical prowess - as I am certain it is - you could just go stick a fork in an outlet. Make sure your standing in a metal bucket full of water when you do it.
5
You brought up an interesting argument of expanding preference points for the Seattle Police Department beyond just military service.

Better idea! Why not subtract points from candidates who previously served in the military. It would be a step towards closing the gender pay gap and help save innocent lives.

Shoot First - Cover your tracks later, is not good work experience for our troubled cops.
7
Whitey dear, are you still talking? Get yourself that fork and that bucket of water and get busy.

Please wait...

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