San Diego may soon become the largest city in the nation to pass a law requiring city contractors and consultants to pay employees equally regardless of gender or ethnicity.
The goal of the new legislation, which the City Council may consider before its August recess, is to help close persistent pay gaps for women and minorities performing the same work as white men.
Federal and state laws already require equal pay, but San Diego Councilman Chris Ward said this week that it's important for the city to play a role in enforcing those laws.
Ward said the city is in a particularly strong position to make a difference as the No. 1 employer of contractors and consultants in the region. Annual city contracts typically exceed $600 million per year.
The Center on Policy Initiatives, a local think tank focused on boosting wages, strongly supports the proposed law.
"It's a good move for the city to make because the gender pay gap is a very serious problem throughout the country," said Kyra Greene, the center's executive director. "It contributes to the high rates of poverty we see in women and children."
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