Freeman Press Release:
Bill Freeman Promises Executive Order to Close Gender Wage Gap on Day One
Chairman of Freeman Webb Inc., Bill Freeman, candidate for Mayor of Nashville, today promised to sign an executive order to eliminate the gender pay gap within Metro Government on his very first day in office.
“The Metro Human Relations Commission published a telling Inclucivics Report in January that clearly shows an employment as well as wage disparity between white male employees and female, black and Latino employees. However, I was discouraged to see that throughout the entire 18 page report just one chart was dedicated to the disparity between the male/female makeup of metro government,” said Freeman.
The MHRC report shows that nearly two-thirds, or 63 percent, of Metro employees are male. However, men make up only 48 percent of the overall population in Nashville. The report also states that those working in upper level salary positions (income brackets above $40,000) are overwhelmingly white male employees, whereas those employees working in lower level salary positions (below $40,000) are hugely over represented by minorities and women.
“As Mayor I will direct each department head to examine and define any discrepancies in pay between men and women of the same job function. Over the next several years, getting every woman to the same salary as her male counterparts will be an integral part of our annual budget. While I cannot go back and mend past mistakes of others, I will work as long as it takes to move Nashville forward,” said Freeman.
“What we also need to do is institute training in all departments that focuses on creating a representative and inclusive workforce. Recruitment should strive for diversity and inclusivity and an annual report card should be compiled to track the departments’ progress towards meeting such goals.”
“I believe that it is imperative that our city’s government be wholly representative in gender and in race,” said Bill Freeman. “Government exists to represent the needs of its people, and if those people are not being represented effectively, then by definition, government has failed.
“Since its inception, Freeman Webb Inc. has worked tirelessly to create a workforce that mirrors Nashville’s diverse population. I have seen firsthand the value of diversity in the workplace and Freeman Webb has reaped the benefits. As Mayor my approach will be no different. I will not let women and minorities continue to fall behind in pay and employment equity.
“Growing up with five sisters I learned that Nashville women are leaders, entrepreneurs, leaders of industry, mothers, caregivers and so much more, and they deserve equal pay for equal work. What makes Nashville great is its sense of community and when one section of that community succeeds, we all succeed,” said Freeman.
Bill Freeman is the co-founder and current chairman of Freeman Web Inc. real estate management company. Bill is a devoted husband to his wife, Babs Tinsley Freeman, father to their three sons, and grandfather to two girls. In the past he has served on the board of directors of the Nashville State Community College Foundation as well as on the boards of the Tennessee State University Foundation, the Nashville Area YMCA, the Nashville Public Television Council and Children’s House.
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I become less impressed as time goes on with the current field of mayoral candidates. First they were trying to out-do each other as the most pro-same sex marriage candidate and now they'll soon be declaring themselves, following Freeman, as uber-feminists. Wow, it would be great to see a real Republican run for that office.
ReplyDeleteRod Williams for Mayor!