“The Boston Symphony Orchestra has responded to an equal pay lawsuit by its principal flutist, Elizabeth Rowe, denying her allegations of pay discrimination based on gender,” writes Zoë Madonna in Friday’s (9/5) Boston Globe (subscription required). “On July 2, Rowe filed one of the state’s first complaints under the new Massachusetts Equal Pay Law.… Rowe alleges that the BSO had discriminated against her ‘by paying an amount less than other comparable males.’ Under the law, employers must pay employees of all genders the same wage or salary for ‘comparable work’ … Rowe’s complaint compares her salary to that of principal oboist John Ferrillo, saying that though Ferrillo is her ‘equal in the orchestra, she is paid roughly three-quarters his salary.… In its court filing, dated Aug. 31, the BSO argued that Rowe and Ferrillo’s work are not comparable, stating that ‘the flute and the oboe are not comparable instruments, nor are they treated as such by most major orchestras in the United States…. Setting compensation for each musician, including principals, is a nuanced process involving many factors. Gender, however, is not has never been one of those factors at the BSO.’… Rowe’s attorney declined to comment on the BSO’s court filing…. The BSO declined to comment on the latest developments.”
Posted October 5, 2018
