UFCW Canada submission to The House of Commons

Ottawa – April 18, 2017 – UFCW Canada was recently invited to make recommendations to the House of Commons Standing Committee on the Status of Women, which is currently examining how to improve women’s economic security in Canada and ensure the equal participation of women in the Canadian economy. 

As part of the committee’s examination of the economic security of women in Canada, committee members are analyzing the factors that contribute to a higher incidence of poverty among women than men; the elements that influence women’s income, including the gender pay gap and occupational segregation; and the measures and strategies that can be used to increase women’s entry, participation, and retention in economic leadership positions, among other factors that impact women’s economic security and participation in the labour force.  

At a committee hearing held in Ottawa on April 6, UFCW Canada’s Regional Director for Ontario, Debora De Angelis, outlined our union’s recommendations for closing the gender wage gap and boosting women’s participation in the economy. They include enacting a federal pay equity law modeled on the recommendations of the 2004 Pay Equity Task Force; legislating a living wage of $15 an hour; addressing barriers in accessing maternity and parental leave; introducing legislation that compels employers to provide reliable scheduling practices and better notice periods; and creating a high quality, publicly funded, universal child care system.   

Of particular interest to the committee was the “two week rolling schedule” language that was recently negotiated by UFCW Canada Locals 175 and 1006A, which provides members working at Loblaw-banner stores in Ontario with at least 10 days notice of their weekly work schedules.  

UFCW Canada’s participation in the Status of Women committee hearing was part of our union’s ongoing effort to close the gender wage gap and achieve equity for women workers in Canada. In addition to our hearing testimony, and our Closing the Gap initiative, UFCW Canada has also organized a Thunderclap campaign to encourage Canadian provincial governments to acknowledge the gender wage gap an urgent human rights priority that must be addressed. To add your voice to the campaign, click here.