SAN ANTONIO – The San Antonio City Council will take up the pay gap between genders after two councilwomen submitted a request for a study and plan to address gender pay disparities.
District 5 Councilwoman Shirley Gonzales's office said a council consideration request (CCR) co-authored by her and District 3 Councilwoman Rebeca Viagran was filed with the city Tuesday afternoon. The request had not yet appeared on the city's website as of air time at 6 p.m.
The copy of the CCR provided to KSAT requests "a feasibility study and action plan by COSA's Department of Human Services (DHS), in collaboration with the Department of Economic Development (DED), to develop a set of economic programs and policies designed to address gender pay disparities in San Antonio."
Gonzales said the findings of a report commissioned by the City Council, "The Status of Women in San Antonio," prompted the request.
The report, which included looks into various issues — including housing, violence and economics — found that over a five-year period from 2013-2017, the median earnings of women in San Antonio were 77.8% of men's.
Gonzales said gathering information is the first part of the CCR.
"But the idea would be that we would demand parity. You know, we're tired of sitting back and being taken advantage of at our jobs and at home and in other places. We expect equal pay for equal work and we'll look forward to the data and what it presents," she said.
Gonzales imagines the study looking at the pay differences between male and female employees in the city first. She also mentioned looking at companies receiving city incentives.
The councilwoman said she hopes the City Council will be examining the issue in some capacity in November around Latina Equal Pay Day.