Yesterday was "Equal Pay Day," the day that symbolizes how far into 2014 women have to work to earn the same amount as men did in 2013, as far as the gender pay gap is concerned.
To mark the occasion, Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton and Councilwoman Kate Gallego announced an effort to make an equal-pay-for-equal-work policy for city contractors.
Gallego's proposal would need city council approval.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, women on average are paid 77 cents for every dollar their male counterparts make.
There are innumerable factors that cause the gap, but many believe discrimination is still a factor, despite the Equal Pay Act being signed in 1963. It's still being addressed today -- the first bill signed into law by President Obama dealt with the issue of equal pay.
In Arizona, the issue's a little better: Arizona actually has the smallest pay gap of any state, as Arizona women on average make 86 cents for every dollar the average man earns.
According to a statement from Stanton's office, the mayor "asked Gallego to lead an effort over the next few months to draft an equal pay measure that better ensures fair pay in the workplace, and includes mechanisms to enforce the policy."
The proposal would only apply to city contractors (who are paid with taxpayer money), but it's something.
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