Employment disparities were the topic of discussion during a Pine Bluff Administration Committee meeting when zoning official Lakishia Hill brought to the attention of the council members that after almost 16 years of service, her salary still did not equal the pay of the male counterpart she replaced in the 1990s.
“At the time that I was hired, the city was hiring employees and they were paying them the budgeted amount of the position,” said Hill, who came in with a college degree and has earned several certifications during her tenure with the city. “I did not receive that, and after 15 years of working for the city, I still don’t make what that person made.” Hill said she feels that she is underpaid and is requesting that she be paid $46,000, which would be her salary had she been offered the budgeted amount of $41,000, plus the incremental raises from the city based on her years of service.
Council Member Steven Mays suggested that Hill get with Mayor Shirley Washington because the budget had already been set, but Council Member Joni Alexander differed, pointing out that the council had just approved salary increases for other positions.
“When there was a male working in her position in the ’90s, he was making $41,000, and Lakishia came in at the bare minimum,” said Alexander, apparently referring to when Hill started in the department. “If we were to lose Mrs. Hill today, it would be totally justified. If we were to hire someone in her position, in order to get somebody with half the years of experience that she has, we would raise that salary.” Hill filed a federal lawsuit over the matter in 2009, claiming that the city was guilty of gender discrimination and violating federal and state law because the city did not pay her the same as the man she replaced, according to published reports. Her initial salary was $28,205, but that amount was increased to $35,145 after she was promoted to replace her supervisor, Danny Birdsong, in 2006, according to case-text.com , a legal research platform.
When Birdsong retired, he was making $41,000. Hill’s lawsuit was dismissed. She then appealed to the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which in 2012 upheld the lower court’s decision, saying Hill had failed to provide sufficient evidence to support her claims of gender discrimination.
Hill said at the committee meeting that when she was hired, the administration told her that she couldn’t make what the person before her had made because the city was moving away from paying what was in the budget.
“That has not been adopted and done, and in between my hire and hires of today, the city has not only reverted from paying what the salary survey says, but people make what’s in the budget when they come into positions and I didn’t,” said Hill.
Hill, who started her tenure with the city right out of college, said she feels she should be compensated for her longevity with the city. According to Hill, the salary survey currently in place does not even offer a salary range.
Pine Bluff Human Resources Director Vickie Conaway said she had met with Washington and discussed the salary survey currently in place.
“I do agree with Lakishia; there is no range in there,” said Conaway, who went on to say she would revisit the survey and implement it based on years of service for employees. “There are some that don’t get anything that have been here 15 years or more, so I’m going to redo it so I can calculate the longevity into it and then sit down with each department head and go over how the increases were made.” Conaway said the work should be completed in July, in time for the 2022 budget consideration. Washington added that officials are going to look at salaries across the board and also look at step increases.
“We just approved a secretary going full-time. We just approved another position. Previously we’ve raised directors’ salaries in other departments, we added positions in other departments and have given raises, and I don’t think that is fair that now at 1:52 on April 13, we tell Mrs. Hill after we’ve done all that, she has to wait until next year,” said Alexander.
“The issue isn’t her coming to us because she needs a raise. It’s because the way she was hired was not done properly like a lot of other women that are underpaid compared to their male counterparts,” said Alexander. “Don’t forget that she actually came in with a degree of certification that the person prior to her did not have.” Council Member Ivan Whitfield said he agreed with Alexander, stating that it would be a shame for them to have to wait until next year to handle this issue.
“We’ve done some things this year with other people, and sometimes this may be the spark that makes us rise to the occasion and look at everybody across the board,” said Whitfield. “Yes, it’s going to open up Pandora’s box, but we might as well get ready for it because it’s coming.”