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November 20 1972 : For immediate release
DARE Challenges City Hall Budget (1972)
(Editors Note: Gender discrimination in Chicago city employment was
rampant before the advent of the women's movement. The reigning Daley
political machine was very adroit at fending off challenges, but organizations
like the Chicago Women's Liberation Union(CWLU) and the National Organization
for Women (NOW) were not easily brushed aside.)
On June
29 several aldermen end women and a coalition of women and labor groups
presented a report documenting severe sex discrimination in city government
employment practices. As a specific example of discrimination the report
pointed out that city hall janitresses earned $1,000 less a year than
the janitors . Over the past three months representatives of the coalition,
after trying unsuccessfully to meet with the mayor, held a series of
negotiating sessions with Ken Sain, the deputy mayor . One of our demands
as that the categories of janitor and janitress be eliminated and replaced
with a single neuter category with the minimum pay to be that which
the janitors now receive . At our last meeting with Mr. Sain, he smilingly
told us, "Compensation would be made in the 1973 budget."
Mr. Sain’s
idea of compensation infuriates us . The job titles janitor and janitress
were changed but not to a third category. Instead, janitor was changed
to custodial worker and janitress to the demeaning title of custodial
assistant. Now the women will not only be paid $1,000 less than the
men, but will be given a job title which clearly implies subservience
to male custodial workers. Where do the people who changed these job
categories
get their gall?
Once again
City Hall has shown its contempt for its women employees. In the entire
1973 budget there are no pay raises for women except in consideration
of longevity. This budget in an insult to the women of Chicago. In
the budget hearings today we are going to demand that the phony classification
of custodial assistant be changed to custodial worker.
D.A.R.E
Chicago Women’s Liberation Union
852 West Belmont
Chicago, Illinois 60657
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