Posted: 7/3/07
City grapples with pay equity issues not in compliance
By Charlie Warner
Argus News Editor
A special meeting dealing with pay equity was held by the Caledonia City Council on July 2, after this edition of the Caledonia Argus went to press.
The council scheduled the special meeting after discussing the pay equity issue at some length during their June 25 meeting.
The city received a memo from Faith Zwemke of the Minnesota Department of Employee Relations (MDER) that stated the city did not meet state requirements for pay equity between genders. After reviewing Caledoniaís pay equity report, Zwemke noted salaries for at least three female classes would have to be increased by as much as $100 per month per employee.
"There are many combinations of increases that could be implemented to pass the pay equity test. In your case, perhaps an ëacross the boardí approach might be easier to implement," Zwemke stated in the memo.
"You can try different scenarios to see what is needed to pass the test," Zwemkeís memo continued. "In the final analysis, enough increases have to take place to meet compliance requirements. A report that passes all compliance tests must be submitted no later than July 7, 2007. I have extended the deadline by 30 days. However, salary adjustments must be retroactive back to may 7, 2007. Failure to make necessary adjustments and submit a report that passes all tests by July 7, 2007 will result in penalty. The penalty is the greater of fiver percent of local government aid or $100 per day."
The city received a memo from MDER Human Relations Specialist Paul Ness on June 25 suggesting the city increase the wages of three non-unionized female job classes, since the city cannot open up collective bargaining negotiations with female union employees and still make the July 7 deadline.
The three classes are library assistant, the city librarian and city accountant. Ness figured it would cost the city approximately $6,000 in wage increases to pass the pay equity tests.
It appeared as if the council was leaning towards Nessí recommendation, and called the special July 2 meeting to make a decision to meet the July 7 deadline. Coverage of the July 2 meeting will be included in next weekís Argus.
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