Mayor Launches Tulsa Pay Equity Pledge; Tulsa Employers Encouraged to Follow Suit

3/10/2021

Today, Mayor G.T. Bynum launched the Tulsa Pay Equity Pledge. 

Created in partnership with the Mayor’s Commission on the Status of Women, the Mayor’s Pay Equity Pledge is a voluntary, employer-led initiative to close the gender pay gap in the city of Tulsa.

Though women participate in the local workforce at a rate of 73.8 percent and make up 51.2 percent of the population, women in Tulsa County still only earn 84 cents to every dollar earned by men.

To combat this inequality, the Mayor’s Commission on the Status of Women has spearheaded this effort to ensure equal pay in Tulsa’s workforce.

“As Tulsa strives to be a city of opportunity for everyone, we know that people should make equal pay for equal work - regardless of gender,” Mayor Bynum said. “There are practical steps any organization can take to ensure this happens, and I am thankful that so many of Tulsa’s best employers are joining the City of Tulsa with this inaugural commitment to putting those practices in place. We are eager for more great employers to join us!”

Those who take the pledge commit to:

• Ban questions about previous salary history to candidates for hire or promotion
• Commit to ongoing diversity, equity, and inclusion training for employees responsible for recruiting, hiring, onboarding, and promoting
• Review employee pay to ensure compliance with the Equal Pay Act

The 13 employers who have taken the pledge so far are as follows:

• Arvest Bank
• BOK Financial
• Hilti
• Matrix Service Company
• Public Service Company of Oklahoma
• Schnake Turnbo Frank
• Selser Schafer Architects
• TTCU
• Tulsa County
• Tulsa International Airport
• Tulsa Regional Chamber
• Lobeck Taylor Family Foundation/Mother Road Market

"Signing the Pay Equity Pledge is one step to ensuring employees are paid equitably, which we know leads to increased efficiency, creativity and productivity for organizations by helping to attract and retain the best talent,” said Dr. Meg Morgan, vice chair for the Mayor’s Commission on the Status of Women. “The Mayor's Commission on the Status of Women is appreciative of the Mayor's support and the business community's support for this monumental step in the right direction."

Employers who commit to pay equity can positively impact employee morale, turnover and retention rates, and increase employee performance. 

To see a list of employers who have taken the pledge, and to download, sign and submit the pledge, visit: www.cityoftulsa.org/payequity  

About the Mayor’s Commission on the Status of Women

The Mayor’s Commission on the Status of Women acts as the central clearinghouse and coordinating agency for activities and information relating to women.

The commission is charged with helping women develop a collective voice to influence public policy and effect positive changes in their lives, in addition to stimulating research in the area of women’s legal rights; educating the community on the status of women by publicizing information on women’s rights and obligations; reviewing the range of services available to women to enable them to fully contribute to society through their homes and participation in community life; and to strengthening existing services and assisting public, commercial, cooperative or voluntary agencies in pursuing needed services.

For more information on the Mayor’s Commission on the Status of Women, visit MCSOW.