Help close the Gender Pay Gap today
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UFCW Canada submission to the House of Commons Special Committee on Pay Equity |
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| #EqualPayDay |
The gender wage gap is the difference in earnings between women and men in the workplace.
It is a widely recognized indicator of the economic inequality facing working women. A 2015 United Nations Human Rights report raised concerns about “the persisting inequalities between women and men” in Canada, including the “high level of the pay gap” and its disproportionate effect on low-income women, racialized women, and Indigenous women.
Canada is ranked as having the 8th highest gender pay gap out of a list of 43 countries examined by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
According to data from the 2016 Census, women in Canada earn nearly 30% less than men—a gap that's even wider for racialized, Indigenous, LGBTQ2S, and disabled women. As inflation and the costs of living soar, women are struggling to afford the basic essentials to support themselves and their families.
Women have historically faced significant barriers to achieving economic equality, including gender-based discrimination in hiring, promotion, and pay. While progress has been made in recent years, the gender pay gap remains persistently high. Women have higher levels of education and still make less than men on average. There’s a significant gap between what men and women earn in every industry and occupation.
Pay equity is not a privilege or a frill. It is the law. Discriminatory pay gaps are a violation of human rights, and human rights enforcement is not a partisan issue.
How can we eliminate the gender wage gap?
- Make closing the gender gap a human rights priority
- Legislate card check & promote access to collective bargaining
- Enforce and expand pay equity
- Increase the minimum wage
- Legislate equity compliance for workplaces and businesses
- Provide affordable, high-quality, universal child care
- End violence and harassment of women
- Table Pay Transparency legislation
Toronto – July 27, 2016 – The release of an Ontario government interim report that lays out options to update Ontario’s outdated labour laws is “a welcome step in acknowledging the laws must change to improve the lives and future of workers across the province,” says Paul Meinema, the national president of UFCW Canada.
Edmonton – July 20, 2016 – Conservative MP Jason Kenney, who recently launched his bid for the leadership of the Alberta Conservative Party, has twice declared that former Con boss Stephen Harper "was the greatest prime minister of the 20th century." 
Alliston, Ont. — June 21, 2016 – Young UFCW Canada members and community activists from across the country recently converged in Alliston, Ontario for the UFCW Canada Ignite Youth Conference, where young member-activists had the opportunity to voice their opinions and spark new ideas to help strengthen Canada’s leading and most progressive union.
