Legislature(1993 - 1994)
01/18/1994 09:00 AM Senate CRA
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* first hearing in first committee of referral
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+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
SENATE COMMUNITY & REGIONAL AFFAIRS
January 18, 1994
9:00 a.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Senator Randy Phillips, Chairman
Senator Robin Taylor, Vice Chairman
Senator Al Adams
Senator Fred Zharoff
MEMBERS ABSENT
Senator Loren Leman
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
SENATE BILL NO. 2
"An Act requiring pay equity for certain public employees and
requiring the compensation of certain public employees based on the
value of work performed."
PREVIOUS SENATE COMMITTEE ACTION
SB 2 - See Community & Regional Affairs minutes dated
11/3/93, 1/11/94.
WITNESS REGISTER
Mike McMullen
Manager, System Services
P.O. Box 110201
Juneau, Alaska 99811-0201
POSITION STATEMENT: Opposed SB 2.
Alexis Miller
Staff to Senator Donley
State Capitol
Juneau, Alaska 99801-1182
POSITION STATEMENT: Reviewed SB 2.
Joseph Wilkey
P.O. Box 770290
Eagle River, Alaska 99577
POSITION STATEMENT: Reviewed SB 2.
Teresa Anderson
ASEA
1237 Kennicott
Fairbanks, Alaska 99701
POSITION STATEMENT: Supported SB 2.
Jana Varatti
7030 Foothill Drive
Anchorage, Alaska 99504
POSITION STATEMENT: Supported SB 2.
Richard Seward
ASEA
315 Barnette Street
Fairbanks, Alaska 99701
POSITION STATEMENT: Reviewed SB 2.
Pat Jones
ASEA
Women's Issues Committee Chair
P.O. Box 2996
Valdez, Alaska
POSITION STATEMENT: Reviewed SB 2.
Kathy Dietrich
ASEA
1951 Red Leaf Road
Fairbanks, Alaska 99707
POSITION STATEMENT: Supported SB 2.
ACTION NARRATIVE
TAPE 94-3, SIDE A
Number 001
The Senate Community & Regional Affairs Committee was called to
order by Senator Randy Phillips, Chairman, at 9:00 p.m. He
introduced SB 2 (PAY EQUITY BASED ON VALUE OF WORK) as the only
order of business and noted there was a proposed substitute that
had been prepared by the Department of Administration.
Number 025
MIKE MCMULLEN, Manager of System Services, Division of
Personnel/EEO, Department of Administration, stated the department
is opposed to SB 2 in its current form, but that they have a
proposed substitute that the department supports. The most
significant change eliminates from the bill any obligation to
negotiate classification systems with employees. He referred to
the Alaska Quantitative Evaluation System Classification of 1986,
explaining that the proposed implementational changes to this
system are in the present bill. Each bill would require that the
covered employers would develop a new classification system.
Mr. McMullen discussed a letter from Joseph Wilkey, a retired state
supervisor, in which Mr. Wilkey describes a classic example of an
affirmative action plan analysis. Mr Wilkey specified a weakness
in SB 2 regarding sex based wage disparity and gender based
discrimination. The language implies a cause and effect between
sex and wages but does not take into consideration other factors.
Mr. McMullen pointed out findings in the Gender Gap Report which
show that the target groups, state and local employees, of SB 2 are
already doing well.
Number 245
ALEXIS MILLER, staff to Senator Donley, stated that the letter from
Patricia Jones, Alaska State Employees Association (ASEA) and
Women's Issues Committee, specifically outlines Senator Donley's
concerns. Ms. Miller emphasized that SB 2 refers to pay between
job classes. SB 2 will help the state finish conducting job class
surveys for all state jobs and rectify any problems. In response
to Senator Adam's question, Ms. Miller stated that Senator Donley
does not support the committee substitute.
Number 278
MIKE MCMULLEN said that the employer's classification system is the
only area taken out of collective bargaining. Mr. McMullen gave
examples of contracts with collective bargaining provisions.
Number 306
JOSEPH WILKEY of Anchorage said he has concern with some of the
language in the bill because the way it is worded it intrudes the
labor union into the state personnel management system to a degree
he would consider undesirable. He added that he is not against
collective bargaining, but the way it is worded the public
employer would have to meet with the labor union in order to come
up with a job evaluation system, and would then have to submit
their reports directly to the bargaining unit rather than to the
state personnel division.
SENATOR TAYLOR asked if the existing draft could be amended to
accomplish Mr. Wilkey's concerns. Mr. Wilkey answered that he
prefers taking the existing statutes, and if there are some changes
needed, to consider other factors that relate to the disparity
between wages for males and females. Changes to the statute should
be limited to include just what needs to be done to make it more
equitable if there is a valid discrimination or factors not being
considered that should be considered. Ms. Miller informed the
committee that a continuation of the study would determine where
there are job class disparities and do what Mr. Wilkey stated
above.
SENATOR TAYLOR questioned the pay scales for police supervisors.
He cited a 37 percent pay differential between Anchorage and
Wrangell police supervisors and inquired as to why such a
differential existed.
Number 365
TERESA ANDERSON, representing the ASEA Women's Committee, voiced
support for SB 2. She emphasized the denial of the pay equity
problem in state employment and asked what could been done to get
SB 2 passed. Furthermore, many studies and reports have been
ignored even though they have consistently shown a pattern of lower
pay for women's jobs. She stated that if the wage gap between men
and women is not closed, more people will require assistance.
Ms. Anderson said some legislators are against SB 2, and she
questioned what was wrong with paying people for what they are
worth, no matter if they are male or female. She added that female
dominated jobs have been the lowest paid, not because they are less
responsible, not because they have less work hazards and not
because they have less education, but because they are traditional
female positions.
Concluding her testimony, Ms. Anderson said pay equity is a
fairness issue, which affects not only women, but everyone, and she
urged passage of the legislation.
Number 415
SENATOR TAYLOR commented that the entire basis of SB 2 seems to
assume that an hour's worth of work put in by anyone is equal to an
hour's worth of work being put in by anyone else. He asked if
anyone could answer what the basis is for evaluating work and what
the difference is in the wages of the shoe salesman, the truck
driver, the equipment operator, the executive, etc., that may have
something to do with the job they're doing as opposed to the sex
that they bring to the job. TERESA ANDERSON responded that she
believes right now the difference is sex based and this is the very
thing they want changed. She suggested requiring equivalent
education, skills, training, responsibilities and work hazard in a
points rating system to create fairness without regard to sex.
CHAIRMAN RANDY PHILLIPS revealed that his secretary makes more
money than him, while he has more responsibilities than she. Ms.
Anderson stated that a points rating system would clarify who
actually has more responsibility.
Number 460
JANA VARATTI, testifying from Anchorage, said that the wage
disparity in state government has been well documented in several
states. She urged passage of SB 2 as it stands.
RICHARD SEWARD, ASEA, testifying from Fairbanks noted that his 1993
study of state jobs in the executive branch found that a vast
majority of our job classes are segregated by sex and that
employees in female dominated job classes earn 30 percent less than
men. Even when education is factored into the study women still
earn less than men at all education levels. He asserted that there
should be no wage disparity between jobs traditionally held by
women versus jobs traditionally held by men. He said that SB 2
does not affect affirmative action. He expressed ASEA's opposition
to the administration's substitute bill.
Mr. Seward explained that collective bargaining and pay equity
should be connected throughout the process. He suggested three
reasons for keeping collective bargaining in SB 2: to ensure that
action is taken, to lower costs to the state, and to ensure better
decisions by using labor and management in the process. In
conclusion, he commented that ASEA wants to use collective
bargaining in the implementation of the study so that the study is
done properly, cheaply, and that sex discrimination in wage scales
is eliminated.
Number 562
SENATOR PHILLIPS asked if it's the responsibility of the
legislature to ensure equal opportunity or equal outcome. Mr.
Seward cited equal opportunity as the legislature's responsibility,
outcome should be based on merit not on sex. SB 2 talks about the
educational level necessary for the position not the educational
level of the employee.
TAPE 94-3, SIDE B
Number 570
SENATOR TAYLOR stated that labor unions, in his opinion, had done
more to bring about wage disparity than the state itself. He
expressed that just because people have a college degree they are
not necessarily worth more to society nor should they achieve more
money. Mr. Seward pointed out that the study will not only
consider the educational level for a position but also the hazards,
the amount of training necessary, the amount of physical strength
required, and most importantly the amount of responsibility.
Number 545
PAT JONES, ASEA, Chair of the Women's Issues Committee testifying
from Valdez, clarified that Mr. Wilkey's letter dealt with wage
disparity within one job class. SB 2 deals with wage disparity
between job classes. She voiced opposition to the draft bill due
to its lack of response to incumbent employees, the deletion of
"and the work shift" and the elimination of collective bargaining.
Number 466
MIKE MCMULLEN clarified that there is a separate statute on shift
differential to also include it as a factor in the classification.
KATHY DIETRICH, ASEA testifying from Fairbanks, explained that the
1991 National Caucus of State Legislatures called on federal and
state lawmakers to adopt comparable worth language. She noted that
any collective bargaining agreements negotiated with any unions
(The Teamsters) have been by mutual agreement. She urged passage
of SB 2.
Number 390
CHAIRMAN RANDY PHILLIPS stressed that letters are always welcome
and that constituents are entitled to express their view and
furthermore he is obligated to listen to every constituent's point
of view. He said that this letter was completely unsolicited.
Chairman Randy Phillips stated that SB 2 would be taken up once
again the following week.
Number 380
There being no further business to come before the committee,
Chairman Randy Phillips adjourned the committee at 10:10 a.m.
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