Solidarity with BERG — Point of Action #12: Introduce a Wage-Equity Plan
To the BERG: Our union sees, recognizes and values the incredible leadership and perseverance of our Black colleagues at OHSU. We stand in solidarity with the BERG. AFSCME Local 328 has been reflecting as a union, and we recognize our ability to do much better.
As stated in our December 2020 letter to the OHSU Black Employee Resource Group, AFSCME Local 328 has committed to stand and bear witness to the BERG’s letter sent to OHSU leadership and the board of directors on August 31, 2020, which called out concerns around OHSU’s racist practices, particularly those impacting Black employees. This month we address the 12th of the BERG’s 14 Points of Action, which is to:
Introduce a wage-equity plan to ensure that Black women, Black men and people of color are being compensated fairly when compared to similar counterparts in similar roles and with similar education, skills and experience.
OHSU’s response stated that an independent contractor conducted a pay-equity review on unclassified-administrative employees and faculty members, concluding that there were no gender- or race-based pay inequities. This analysis did conclude that there were pay gaps “...due to fewer women and non-white employees holding higher paying jobs…” OHSU stated in its November 2020 response to the BERG that the employer was establishing a task force to make recommendations in these areas. An April 2021 OHSU Now post references the formation of a “Pay Gap Task Force,” but a search showed no subsequent posts on this task force’s activities or recommendations.
Research has shown that homosocial reproduction — the tendency of hiring managers to select candidates who reflect themselves — negatively affects the ability of women and non-white people to attain promotions. Due to this, they are often forced to “out-credential” their white, male counterparts in order to obtain similar promotions.
As demonstrated by the independent contractor’s above-noted findings of pay gaps and OHSU’s employment-related practices that have resulted in people of color being underrepresented in new hires and rehires (as well as other disparities), it appears that homosocial reproduction is a significant issue at the institution and must be addressed. Relatedly, the Covington Report found similar problems and identified the need for OHSU to “adopt a system to consistently track diversity metrics in hiring, performance evaluations, promotion, compensation, discipline, retention, and attrition” and to “implement a process to regularly review these metrics and take action to identify and improve disparities.”
These issues have been clearly and repeatedly demonstrated to OHSU, by a variety of sources, which leads us to wonder:
Where is the task force OHSU alluded to in its 2020 response to the BERG?
How does OHSU plan to transparently assess and address employment-related disparities?
Will a pay-equity review be conducted for AFSCME-represented employees, or employees represented by other unions?
What will be the time period for reviewing wage inequities and gaps? What will the methods be for making adjustments? How will these disparities be prevented for future employees?
AFSCME Local 328 continues to hold the entire OHSU community accountable (including but not limited to members of our bargaining unit, OHSU leadership, students and researchers) to do their part — individually and collectively — in remaking OHSU into an anti-racist institution. In order for this to happen, we must all be accountable and demonstrate transparency. As such, we stand with the BERG and their call for OHSU to introduce a wage-equity plan to ensure that BIPOC employees are being compensated fairly when compared to counterparts in similar roles and with similar education, skills and experience.