Pay inequity: It's still with us

This article explores reasons for the continued existence of pay inequity. Throughout the past 3 decades, pay equity proponents have applied a number of remedies for inequity. For example, civil rights legislation has helped somewhat, but narrow interpretations hinder the usefulness of law. Labor market surveys do more to perpetuate inequity than to cure it. Collective bargaining offered by traditional unions benefits nursing to a lesser extent than nurses commonly believe. Job evaluation systems combine with multiple pay scales and inequitable pay formulas to perpetuate discrimination. Finally, there remains a danger that nurses' own lack of sophistication regarding pay equity issues may work against the interests of the profession on the pay equity scene. Nurses, therefore, need to keep abreast of current pay equity issues.