Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout04-06-21 Public Comment - C. McQuikin - Pay Equity TestimonyFrom:Caelen McQuilkin To:Agenda Subject:Public Comment for 4/6/21 Meeting Date:Tuesday, April 6, 2021 6:45:37 PM Attachments:April 6th Pay Equity Testimony.pdf CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe. Hello, I have attached my public comment for the city commission meeting today. My name'sCaelen, I delivered my comment orally but I understand my audio may have cut off at a few points, so I wanted to provide a paper copy of my statement for the record. Thanks so much,Caelen Hello everyone, Thank you so much for the opportunity to be here and speak today. My name is Caelen McQuilkin, and my current address is 317 Lindley Place,in Bozeman. For the past two months, I’ve been working as an intern with the task force to advance the safety and status of women and girls. The writing, research, and interviewing that I’ve been doing with the task force has given me insight into how far-reaching the implications of the gender pay gap are, especially for women who are marginalized due to factors such as race and income. Through conversations I’ve had with a range of women who are employed in Bozeman, I have learned that the difference the gender pay gap makes in women’s incomes can also be the difference between access to housing, or unstable living situations; between safe and reliable healthcare, or sickness and deteriorating health;between education, or the struggle to even find employment. Pay gap data for the state of Montana reveals that the average gap between the salaries of men and women is $17,016 every year, according to Covid-19 census data. Using calculations based on the average costs of living in the state of Montana,I determined that if the pay gap were eliminated in this state, women would make enough additional money (on top of the current average income) to pay for: -16 months of rent for a 3-bedroom apartment, OR -7,334 gallons of gas, OR -22 months of groceries for a family of 3 Taking into account the fact that when broken down by race, the pay gap widens for women of color, further reveals how essential closing the pay gap is: we are talking about a change that could literally pay every woman’s average rent in Montana, every year. And in Bozeman specifically, we know how high the cost of living is, so closing the pay gap would cover fewer months of rent--one of many indications that advocating for true pay equity means advocating for a range of connected social issues, including a higher minimum wage and access to affordable housing and childcare. As I think back on the year 2020 and how it forced so many to reckon with the far-reaching implications of race and class, I also can’t help thinking ahead to this next year, and the future.In this next year, one of my younger sisters will apply to college, and the other will begin second grade. I will resume college as a sophomore. By adopting the task force’s recommendations and continuing to advocate for economic justice here in Bozeman and across the nation, I hope that the world we will step into will be closer to one where our skills and passions are seen at their true value.