Mayor Walsh announces fall series of free salary negotiation workshops

The initiative is part of a grassroots program to provide American Association of University Women (AAUW) Work Smart workshops to 85,000 women.

BOSTON - Tuesday, September 13, 2016 - Mayor Martin J. Walsh in partnership with the American Association of University Women (AAUW) and the Office of Women's Advancement today announced the fall series of free salary negotiation workshops available to every woman in the City of Boston. The program, "AAUW Work Smart in Boston," is part of a five year partnership between the City and AAUW aimed at training half of Boston's working women, or 85,000 women, over the next five years. A full list of upcoming workshops is available here.

"Last September we launched the first salary negotiation workshops in partnership with AAUW, with the goal of getting one step closer to closing the gender wage gap in the City of Boston," said Mayor Walsh. "One year later we have seen that not only is there a significant demand for these types of opportunities for women to learn these skills, but that the workshops are making a real difference, training over 1,500 women in the first year. I'm excited that we are able to continue offering these tools for women to use at the negotiating table."

In the United States as a whole, women working full time are typically paid 79 percent of what men are paid, and the gap is wider for women of color. The gender pay gap starts just one year out of college, and intensifies over the course of a career.

The Office of Women's Advancement and AAUW are committed to closing the gender wage gap through education and community support. By offering AAUW Work Smart salary negotiation workshops, the City of Boston and AAUW hope to ensure women have the knowledge to negotiate fair and equitable salaries and set a benchmark for future salary increases.

The AAUW Work Smart workshops are free and open to the public. Attendees will participate in a two-hour workshop and will learn four key skills:

Step 1: Know your value
Step 2: Identify a Target Salary and Benefit Package
Step 3: Know Your Strategy
Step 4: Practice, Practice, Practice

"I am so grateful for this partnership with AAUW, and am excited to see the impact this will have on empowering working women in Boston and closing the gender wage gap, both in Boston and beyond," said Megan Costello, Executive Director of the Office of Women's Advancement.

"These workshops are necessary because equal pay should not depend on where you live or where you work. AAUW is proud to collaborate with the Mayor's Office of Women's Advancement on this vital program," said AAUW President Patricia Fae Ho.

Workshops will be provided in every neighborhood throughout Boston. A list of the fall workshops can be found online. Attendees will also be invited to participate in several networking opportunities following the workshops to form professional partnerships and develop pipelines for leadership. Please note: Out of respect of privacy for workshop attendees, all workshops are closed to the press unless otherwise noted or with pre-approval by the Mayor's press office.

Members of the press are invited to attend the following workshops:

Monday, September 19 at 5:30-7:30 p.m., Brighton Public Library, 40 Academy Hill Rd., Brighton
Tuesday, October 4 at 6:30-8:30 p.m., Suffolk University, David Sargent Hall, Room 265, 120 Tremont St., Boston

About AAUW Work Smart

Created for working women, AAUW Work Smart is an interactive workshop that teaches women to evaluate, negotiate, and articulate their worth confidently in the job market. Whether striving for a promotion, asking for a raise, or negotiating a new salary, attendees learn how to conduct objective research to establish an equitable target salary. Expert facilitators lead discussions on the gender wage gap and its personal effects, while small group activities and role-play exercises give participants the opportunity to create and perfect their persuasive pitch.

About the Mayor's Office of Women's Advancement

The Office of Women's Advancement is committed to advancing and supporting women in Boston. The office provides a permanent, effective voice for all female residents of Boston by working inclusively with public, private, and non-profit partners on key issues that significantly affect women and girls. The office advocates for equal opportunity for women in all arenas of our city, and provides educational opportunities for women that emphasize economic equality, and the health and safety of all women.