Reader Forum: Clackamas CEO defends wage gap


An Oregon business owner responds to Tackling the CEO-Worker Pay Gap

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“It is always interesting to me how concerned people are about CEO income. [These are] people who have climbed the corporate ladder, sometimes over decades of hard work and sacrifice, but [people] are not as concerned about the wages of movie stars or professional athletes.

The market determines what these jobs will pay. If anything, it should provide incentive for the young, hourly guy in [the article] to pursue more education and to take an active and lead role in his own betterment. [Tyrel Oates] could start a company and become the CEO. He took the job at Wells Fargo knowing what it paid and it seems that it was a better offer than any job he created for himself.

Now he is complaining based on earnings company-wide without recognizing that his own job is much more than a paycheck: he is making connections and building his network; he is being exposed to new opportunities; he gets to prove what he is made of; and he gets to earn a living while learning and growing. It sounds like he needs a bit more gratitude and to create his own life plan.

I am the CEO of my own 25+ year old company where I started out making absolutely nothing for several years.”

Alyson Salz is the owner of Righteous Clothing Agency in Clackamas.