Over 200 Cincinnati-area organizations have publicly committed to paying women and people of color equal wages to white men.
The list includes institutions like the Cincinnati Ballet, the Cincinnati and Hamilton County Public Library and the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden, as well as private companies such as FC Cincinnati, Turner Construction and Fifty West Brewing.
All of these groups signed the Hamilton County Pay Equity Commitment, which launched in 2021 as a way to help employers close the gender- and race-based pay gaps. In April, 40 new employers signed on, compared to 51 in 2025.
While the pledge isn't a legally binding document, it does reveal who values equal pay and who doesn't (or at least, who keeps their compensation strategies
more secretive).
The commitment is an initiative led by the Hamilton County Commission on Women and Girls, a group of 20 women and 10 students who work with local governments, businesses and nonprofit organizations to advocate for fair pay practices, affordable childcare and improved response to intimate partner violence.
“It's about economic stability for families and ensuring everyone has a fair shot to succeed, because untapped wages mean untapped potential in this community," Hamilton County Commissioner Denise Driehaus said at the March 31 signing.
Wage gap strong in Ohio
Ohio is among the states with the largest wage gap. The National Women's Law Center reports women make between 70 and 74.9 cents to every dollar men make for a full-time, year-round job in Ohio.
The national average is 81 cents for every dollar, and doesn't include the even bigger disparity that women of color face in equal pay.
The figures are the ratio of women's annual median earnings compared to those of men. A 2020 report from the U.S. Census Bureau found that "most of the gender wage gap remains unexplained even after controlling for conventional demographic and economic characteristics, including work history, industry and occupation."
Hamilton County Commissioner Alicia Reece said at the signing that the commitment is not a "handout."
“This is making sure that the people who do the work get paid their worth," she said.
Companies that sign the Pay Equity Commitment are given a list of recommendations to fix that issue: From conducting regular pay audits to including salaries or ranges in job postings to tracking promotion rates and providing paid family leave or flexible work schedules.
Who signed in 2026? Who didn't?
Mary Maune, who leads the commission, said they have reached out to many large employers in the county through "lots of phone calls and emails." She said convincing employers to sign the commitment is also a matter of word of mouth between peer companies and organizations.
Among those signing in 2026: Pig Works, the nonprofit behind the Flying Pig Marathon; Urban Sites, a major developer in Over-the-Rhine; The Mercantile Library; and the City of Wyoming.
Cincinnati Development Fund, a nonprofit lender that's helped fund projects like ArtWorks' (now 1001 Colors) new Walnut Hills headquarters and affordable housing in Evanston and Over-The-Rhine, also signed the commitment.
Founder and CEO Joe Huber said the commission's recommendations are inspirational, and include measures the fund is incorporating.
"It's not a one-size-fits-all scenario," he added. "It's a playbook and a great place to start."
Reds yes, Bengals no
The Cincinnati Reds and FC Cincinnati have signed on, but the Cincinnati Bengals have not. The Enquirer reached out to ask the Bengals if the organization was approached, but the spokesperson did not respond.
Many employers in real estate and development, a male-dominated industry, signed on to the commitment, including The Port of Greater Cincinnati Development Authority. "We believe in equal pay for equal work," the Port's chief Laura Brunner said in a statement.
Neither Messer Construction Co. nor Cincinnati Center City Development Corp., also known as 3CDC, have signed on, though both employers said they value pay equity in statements when The Enquirer reached out.
Regional politics reporter Erin Glynn can be reached at eglynn@enquirer.com, @ee_glynn on X and @eringlynn on Bluesky.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Which Cincinnati companies are committed to paying women equally?
