Chamber of Commerce for Greater Phila. v. City of Phila.

Goldberg, District Judge.

Responding to the problem of wage inequality for women and minorities, the City of Philadelphia has enacted an ordinance amending Title 9 of The Philadelphia Code to include provisions on wage equity. The ordinance has two parts. First, it prohibits an employer from inquiring about a prospective employee's wage history ("the Inquiry Provision"); and second, it makes it illegal for an employer to rely on wage history "at any stage in the employment process" to determine a salary for an employee ("the Reliance Provision"). The basic premise of the law's prohibitions is…