San Francisco To Offer Salary Negotiation Workshops for Women

From AAUW: San Francisco Friends of the Commission on the Status of Women announced a new partnership with the American Association of University Women (AAUW) to sponsor monthly AAUW Work Smart and Start Smart salary negotiation workshops, aiming to train 20,000 women by 2020. The workshops will be offered at no cost throughout the city during 2018.

"This is the start to a wonderful effort to empower women to put their strongest foot forward, whether they are starting out with their first job or seeking a transition into a new one. We need to eliminate as many barriers as possible for women to succeed in the workplace and earn the same wages that men earn," said Supervisor Katy Tang, who has been a leading voice on this effort.

Started in 2015, AAUW Work Smart aimed to train women with the skills to expertly negotiate their own salary and benefits. On average, women typically make 80 cents compared to men’s dollar and the gap widens for women of color. Women in the San Francisco metropolitan area typically make 81 percent when compared to men. While San Francisco has a smaller gender pay gap than most metropolitan areas, a 19 percent gap is still far from gender parity. And for most women, the pay gap is wider. Latinas working in San Francisco are paid 39 cents for every dollar white, non-Hispanic men are paid; African American women 47 cents; and Asian American women 64 cents.

“We commend San Francisco and the Commission on the Status of Women for not only talking the talk when it comes to closing the gender pay gap but for also taking legitimate action to create true change that impacts not only women and their families but also the local economy,” said Kim Churches, chief executive officer at AAUW. “We know there is no silver bullet to closing the pay gap but with these workshops, women can begin to chip away at their own personal pay gaps and get what’s theirs.”

The workshops are made possible by a partnership with Bay Area-based LUNA® Bar, the first nutrition bar for women. This year, as a continued effort to champion equality for all women and help them move that much closer to closing the gender pay gap, LUNA Bar sponsored 100 salary negotiation workshops nationwide including inaugural events in San Francisco.

The trainings serve as a multipronged approach in the fight for equal pay, which also includes advocacy and in-depth research. AAUW programs also serve as an attempt to close the leadership gap that exists in many industries. Until women receive equal pay for equal work and equal access to opportunities, true equality will remain elusive.

“We are thrilled about this important partnership,” said Commissioner Marjan Philhour. “Now more than ever, we as a community must prioritize empowering our young women, both entering and in the midst of their careers, to effectively negotiate the salary and benefits they deserve. These workshops are one of several ways we can make important strides towards gender equity in the workforce.”

To date, AAUW Work Smart workshops have trained over 30,000 women. The program currently has partnerships with five cities and counting to offer free negotiation workshops. AAUW intends to train 5 million women across the country by 2022.

Image by Ernestoeslava via Pixabay