Committee approves pay-transparency ordinance to ban salary‑history questions; refers measure for implementation planning

The Workforce, Education, Training and Youth Development Committee advanced Ordinance 104-2025, an emergency ordinance that would prohibit employers in Cleveland from asking applicants about salary history and require job postings to include a pay range. Committee members approved the ordinance as amended and referred the measure to the Finance Committee for further consideration of implementation steps.

The ordinance, introduced by Mayor Bibb and co-sponsored by Council members Jasmine Santana, Stephanie House Jones and others, creates new sections in the city codified ordinances to add "unlawful discriminatory salary practices." It directs enforcement and complaint intake to the Fair Employment Wage Board (FEWB). The legislation includes civil penalties and a worker-driven complaint process; sponsors said the policy aims to reduce gender and racial pay inequities.

Abby Westbrook, executive director of Collaborate Cleveland and a co-chair of the Cleveland Pay Equity Alliance, summarized local and national data in support of the proposal. "In 2025, on average, women still earn 83¢ on the dollar. For Black women, that's 66¢ on the dollar, and for Latinas, that's 58¢ on the dollar," Westbrook said in committee testimony, adding that the ordinance follows models adopted in peer Ohio cities and several states.

Grace, executive director of the Northeast Ohio Worker Center, outlined enforcement and education plans: the FEWB will receive worker complaints, investigate and work with employers to come into compliance; civil penalties are available but the board's stated aim is cooperative remediation. The committee discussed a complaint window and penalties described in testimony: workers will have 180 days to file a complaint; first substantiated violations can carry a civil penalty up to $1,000, a second violation within five years up to $2,500, and repeated violations up to $5,000.

City staff and FEWB members said the ordinance includes a 180-day implementation period after passage to allow employer education and outreach. Committee members discussed using webinars, printed toolkits and a train‑the‑trainer model with community partners to reach small businesses and employees. FEWB members said the board is meeting monthly to stand up operations and has contracted a consultant to support administrative setup.

Several council members stressed the importance of public education and enforcement capacity. Councilman Charles Slife said the ordinance gives the FEWB a clear workload and an ongoing reason to meet and educate employers. Councilwoman Stephanie House Jones noted the ordinance is not intended to “penalize employers” but to bring them into compliance, while other members requested additional enforcement protections — for example, anti‑retaliation safeguards — be refined before final passage.

The committee approved Ordinance 104-2025 as amended and referred it to the Finance Committee for further review of implementation and outreach plans. The ordinance, if adopted by council and signed as required, will take effect after the stated 180-day education period.

Provenance: ordinance introduced and discussed beginning at transcript time 00:57:32 (Ordinance 104-2025 introduction) and committee approval recorded at 01:41:39 (chair announces ordinance 104-2025 as amended is approved and will be heard in finance).