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Rules Committee names members to Equal Pay Advisory Board as ordinance implementation work begins
Summary
The committee advanced three nominees for the new Equal Pay Advisory Board to design confidential wage-data reporting for city contractors, selecting Utuma Belfrey, Rachel Langston and Marissa Diaz (one supervisor dissented on one seat). The board will advise the Human Rights Commission on data collection and investigative triggers.
The Rules Committee forwarded three nominees to the full Board as the first members of San Francisco's newly created Equal Pay Advisory Board, a body charged with designing the city's confidential wage‑data collection system for contractors.
Supervisor John Avalos read a statement from Supervisor Campos explaining the ordinance's purpose: to require city contractors with 20 or more employees to submit annual equal‑pay reports to the Human Rights Commission and to give the commission data to investigate potential wage discrimination without relying solely on individual complaints. "This legislation is groundbreaking because it provides the Human Rights Commission the data it needs to proactively investigate businesses," Avalos said (reading the Campos office statement).
Applicants described how they would approach the advisory board's charge. Wendellyn (Wendy) Aragon (construction project manager) emphasized industry knowledge and insisted that the board study contractor hiring and promotion patterns; Rachel Langston, an employment‑law attorney, said she would help design an efficient, legally sound reporting tool; Utuma (Atuma) Belfrey (union electrician and trainer) emphasized workforce retention strategies and on‑the‑ground remedies for women in the trades; Marissa Diaz and Tyra Fennell detailed community engagement and employer incentives.
After public comment and discussion, the committee made appointments. Supervisors recorded votes by seat on the committee floor: Utuma Belfrey was approved for one worker‑seat unanimously by the three supervisors present; Rachel Langston was forwarded for a second seat without objection; Marissa Diaz was advanced for the third seat though Chair Avalos recorded a dissenting vote on that selection. The committee explained it would forward the nominations as committee reports to the full Board for final confirmation.
The advisory board's first work will be technical: developing the data fields, confidentiality protections and an approach that minimizes administrative burden while enabling the Human Rights Commission to identify disparities in pay by sex and race. Supervisors and applicants stressed balancing enforcement with support and incentives for employers that adopt best practices.
The clerk noted the committee report will be placed on the March 10 Board agenda.
