This is the true story of how a tribe of women and one man fought the good fight and won against a retail Goliath.

*Disclaimer: This is a true story and out of respect for those involved, the names and locations have been changed.

With ever-changing laws and corporations hiding behind legal jargon sometimes it can be hard to tell when you are getting the pay you deserve. We ask for raises, we prove ourselves, we do what is asked of us and sometimes, for one reason or another, we just don't get the pay we deserve. So how do you know the difference between the pay you deserve and the pay you are legally entitled to in a "minimum wage affordability" city? You learn to decipher the legal jargon even when your company fails to.

Once upon a time, there was a group of women and one man who worked for a certain retailer in Seattle, WA. This group was probably the best team to ever come out of a retailer. Not only did they support and cherish one another outside of work, but inside of the building, they became a tribe. This tribe will forever have a legacy with this retailer, and while they will most likely never be recognized or noticed for it, what they did for each other and the path they carved for those to follow will forever live on.

They did what seems like the unthinkable...-0they forced a corporate change for a misrepresented group.

Here's the back story: If you don't know already, Seattle passed an affordability act to raise the minimum wage in the city substantially. By January 2016, any corporate retailer employing 500 or more nationwide was required to pay $15 per hour.

Anyone who knows anything about retail knows that there is a hierarchy when it comes to position and pay, and any store manager knows that most retailers bind you by what's called a Geoband (basically a ceiling for pay by position and location). So if you are a Store Manager or FT Assistant Manager working in retail, you could potentially be making pretty good money. It means if you are a PT Sales Associate, however, you are making minimum wage with supervisors making a fraction more, and you most likely do not have access to healthcare.

Basically, you are not valued until you move into management by a major retailer and even then it get's a little sketchy around the holidays (work for local retailers). And the honest reality of the situation is the majority of Sales Associates in retail make the same amount regardless of experience. So the industry as a whole definitely has some human rights issues to work out. But this story isn't about that, it's about how a tribe of sales associates with the help of a couple managers fought back in the face of adversity and quickly won what was theirs.

Back to Seattle minimum wage...

A certain two managers for this tribe had a feeling after reading the provided wage information from the company/city, that its tribe was underpaid. Multiple senior level managers were consulted and questioned repeatedly with them all hiding behind the same legal jargon: As a brand, we offer health care so we do not need to pay $15 until January 2018, not January 2017, so your associates may not make that amount yet.

Here's where the company led everyone astray: While the legal verbiage did say that, it also said that if the certain employees who were making minimum wage declined their healthcare or for some reason were not eligible according to company policy... THEY WERE REQUIRED TO BE PAID A MINIMUM WAGE OF $15 PER HOUR. The wage poster did not reflect this blurb and the retailer in question was hiding behind what they thought was a healthcare loophole. It became evident months later that the retailer in question only reviewed the wage poster and failed to review the actual state law.

Here's how the TRIBE fought back: As months passed, the two managers in this story eventually parted ways but even though they were moving on, the tribe remained connected and supportive through a quaint little group chat.

One member of the tribe began to question the new boss about the confusing wage law and was met with hostility and anger--a poor display of leadership. But this one member did not give up, she consulted her Tribe and eventually reached out to the state L&I board about her concerns. Her strength encouraged the others to stand up... and their case continued to grow.

While the Sales Associates of the Tribe fought their battle on the front lines, the two Tribe managers remained in the background doing research and compiling information, arming the girls with every rebuttal, every email, every contact they would need to strong arm the Goliath into conceding. With the group banded together and everyone in full support and the case for a fair wage built through the state, it was time to deal the retailer the final blow... the FEAR of an L&I class action suit. Keep in mind, none of the tribe hired a lawyer or began any kind of trial proceeding... they simply utilized their state resources and the knowledge and research abilities of their former managers to build an information case to present.

Now I am a die-hard feminist like any other, however, I have to commend the tribe as they chose the perfect man to initiate their attack on the unsuspecting retailer. During a corporate visit with the perfect audience he struck, effectively laying out all the information, the knowledge of the state L&I case, and the action taken earlier in the year by himself and the other former manager to pay the Tribe the wage they deserved. And he reiterated that they were ignored and the issue swept under the rug as the retailer hid behind a veil of misinformation.

And they won...the company immediately conceded and agreed to give all the Tribe members and all Seattle employees their fair wage as well as almost a years worth of back pay. A small battle victory in the giant war against pay inequality from corporate giants.

On a sliding scale, the CEO of a corporation that size makes on average 350x the average Sales Associate and over 100x the average store manager. So if you work in the service industry... pay inequality is a serious issue you deal with daily. So, how do you fight it? How do you navigate such a treacherous path? How do you become a whistleblower and come out unscathed? The Tribe here got lucky...they were awarded their money quickly with no retaliation...yet.

If this story doesn't inspire you to fight for what you have earned then maybe this will... the actions of those few impacted the entire Seattle market and ensured fair wages for all of their peers. The ripple effect of what this band did gives a glimmer of hope for everyone to follow... and while I am sure no one in the company will mention it publicly and they will all eventually leave the retailer someday and move on to their separate lives, but their impact will be felt for teams to come. I have never been so proud to be a part of something, even if it was just as a witness.