TREASURER DEB GOLDBERG HOSTS EQUAL PAY CONFERENCE

TREASURER DEB GOLDBERG HOSTS EQUAL PAY CONFERENCE

Members of the Business Community, State and Local Government Join Treasurer Goldberg to the Discuss Gender Wage Gap

BOSTON – Treasurer Deb Goldberg and the Office Economic Empowerment hosted an Equal Pay Day conference at the Omni Parker House today in Boston. At the event, the Treasurer introduced her brand-new website, EqualPayMA.com, dedicated to providing citizens and businesses with resources to close the gender wage gap.

“Wage equality is not solely a women’s issue, it’s a family issue and affects the economic health and wellbeing of our entire state,” said Treasurer Deb Goldberg. “When women are paid as much as men for equal work, we all benefit. Our hope is that the launch of EqualPayMA.com will empower more people to take part in ending the gender wage gap.”

The website’s central feature is a wage equality tool kit, which employers can use as a guide to implement better pay practices and ensure pay equity. The website also features a wage gap calculator, which uses age and occupation to determine how much the gap costs over an entire lifetime.

The Treasurer was joined by several business and community leaders from the Boston area, who discussed these issues on a series of panels. Carol Fulp, president and CEO of The Partnership, Inc., moderated the panel “Closing the Wage Gap” with executive vice president and chief operating officer of State Street’s Global Human Resources Division Kathryn Horgan and Joyce A. Murphy, Executive Vice Chancellor, Commonwealth Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School.

Treasurer Goldberg moderated the women in government panel with Attorney General Maura Healey, Cambridge city Mayor E. Denise Simmons, State Senator Karen Spilka, and Boston City Council President Michelle Wu.

John Fish, the Chairman and CEO of Suffolk Construction, was the event’s keynote speaker and discussed how the institution of better equal pay practices greatly benefited his business.

“The benefits of offering women equal pay and equal opportunities are clear — we must leverage all our best talent and engage the women leaders of tomorrow if we are to ensure a strong and sustainable economy for future generations,” said John Fish, Chairman and CEO of Suffolk Construction. “But the issue of equal pay goes beyond just paychecks. Equal pay for women is about respect and our commitment to keep the promise of the American dream alive for everyone, regardless of gender. In the end, this is about our future.”

On day one, Treasurer Goldberg created the Office of Economic Empowerment (OEE), led by a deputy treasurer with the deliberate goal of incorporating a range of economic empowerment initiatives, including financial literacy, college affordability and programming to support wage equality.

For more information, please visit http://www.EqualPayMA.com/. For more information on the Office of Economic Empowerment, please visit http://www.mass.gov/treasury/empowerment/.