Governor Bullock on Equal Pay Day: ‘All Women Deserve a Fair Day’s Pay for a Fair Day’s Work’

Governor Steve Bullock today released the following statement in recognition of Equal Pay Day:

“As a father, husband, and son of hardworking, thoughtful, and intelligent women and girls, I know that all women deserve a fair day’s pay for a fair day’s work. Montana is taking an important leadership role in closing the gender pay gap once and for all, but there is still much work to be done.

Equal Pay Day is the day when, on average, a woman’s pay for 2014 and 2015 equals a man’s pay for 2014.

In 2013, Bullock established the Equal Pay for Equal Work Task Force to identify the causes of and develop solutions to the gender pay gap in Montana. Since it was established, the Task Force has hosted two summits to discuss pay equity. In addition, they’ve helped to institute wage negotiation training in Job Service offices across the state, spearheaded efforts to provide mentors for girls interested in pursuing a career in the STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) fields, and led the first ever pay audit of state government employees to ensure pay equity in this sector.

A recent study has found that unless the disparity is more comprehensively addressed, Montana’s gender pay gap will not close until 2080.