Equal Pay. Our Five Year Journey 2012 to 2017

Transcription

1 Equal Pay Our Five Year Journey 2012 to 2017

2 The Canadian Federation of Business and Professional Women (BPW Canada) Non-sectarian, non-profit, and non-partisan organization that works to improve the economic, political, social and employment conditions of working women in Canada. BPW Canada is part of BPW International which has Consultative 1 Status at the United Nations and includes clubs in more than 95 countries around the world. It was founded in 1930 and has over 25 clubs with over 400 members across Canada.

3 The Issue of Equal Pay Canada already has legislation on Equal Pay (we re not trying to create or develop any sort of rules or laws around the issue of Equal Pay). Despite legislation, income equity is not a reality in Canadian workplaces. Canadian women on average earn less than 80% of what their male counterparts earn performing the same job. Canada ranks #27 on the World Economic Forum Report when it comes to wage equality. Even though no country in the world has ever closed the gender wage gap, we cannot ignore the fact that 26 other countries are doing better than us!!

4 Equal Pay: A National Priority Today Canadian women work an additional 2 ½ months into the next year to earn the same income that men earn doing the same job working just the regular 12 months of the preceding year. March 18th, 2012 was proclaimed Equal Pay Day by the Canadian Federation of Business and Professional Women. The Mayor of Selkirk Manitoba issued a proclamation in When BPW Calgary submitted a proclamation request, it learned that due to an archaic proclamation policy, Equal Pay Day could not be proclaimed but only recognized. We took this to the streets to raise awareness... And the rest as they say became our Equal Pay Day Journey...

5 The Equal Pay Day Journey: Street Rally Schools Libraries Boardrooms Parliament UNITED NATIONS HEADQUARTERS CSW 59, 60 & 61: NEW YORK CITY

6 Under the Shadow of the Famous Five: 2013 An ordinary group of women decided to do an extraordinary thing.

7 Next Generation of Women & Men

8 It grew and grew.

9 Equal Pay Day in Schools: 2014

10 Equal Pay Day in Schools: 2014 In the Hoofsteps of Emooly Murphy - By Dustin Milligan The right for boys and girls to be treated as equals (The Charter For Children) The Calgary Stampede is home to many cows and bulls who work hard all summer to entertain tourists. Eva loves watching her mother give rides to children. When Eva learns that her mother is being paid much less than the bulls, she makes her voice heard. Will rallying the community draw enough attention from City Stall to change this unfair practice?

11 Equal Pay Day in Schools

12 Equal Pay Day in Schools

13 On the 30 th Floor of the Suncor Energy Centre: 2014 Employment lawyers, human rights leaders, researchers, educators, and influential members of the business and professional communities assembled together to applaud the achievements of women in the workplace and reflect upon the work that remains, specifically narrowing the gender wage gap. Royal Bank of Canada shared the numerous reasons why one of Canada s top diversity employers actively promotes the representation of women in senior management roles. Focused on ways to create an environment that promotes inclusion through access to equal opportunities and progressive work/life and flex policies. A timeline of diversity milestones revealed that in 1994 the Royal Bank of Canada undertook Closing the Gender Gap Initiative.

14 Equal Pay Day in Boardrooms: You Are Worth It Modules (Ontario & Alberta)

15 Equal Pay Day in Boardrooms

16 Feedback was gathered Leverage the power of over 25 clubs across the nation to table this issue at the Prime Minister s Office to declare Equal Pay Day nationally; Empower female leaders to engage media more aggressively to share our voices to narrow the gender wage gap; Continue to build a more vigorous educational campaign to engage employers and corporations, and; Inspire the future generation of female employees to move forward with conviction.

17 Equal Pay Day & Wage Negotiations Workshops & Role Playing: Universities and Colleges 600 young women across Alberta have learned how to negotiate for success!

18 2014 Convention in Saskatoon: Resolution Passed to declare Equal Pay Day nationally

19 Petition to the HoC through Green Party Leader

20 BPWI: Consultative Status at the UN ECOSOC: 2015, 2016, 2017 CSW 59, 60, 61 Peer Countries Have Declared Equal Pay Day!!

21 Let s Bring it back to Canada 2 Cases

22 Case 1 Canada (Attorney General) v. Ms. Walden (No. 1) (2010), CHRR Doc , 2010 FC 490 The Canadian Human Rights Tribunal held that registered nurses who were predominantly female and classified as medical adjudicators received less compensation than doctors who were predominantly male and classified as medical advisors. Both made determinations of disabilities under the Canada Pension Plan. The Court upheld the decision of the tribunal to compensate the female adjudicators equally for their determinations (as the male advisors ).

23 Case 2 Public Service Alliance of Canada v. Canada Post Corp. (2011), 73 C.H.R.R. D/52 Supreme Court of Canada upheld the original tribunal decision that female postal workers in clerical jobs were discriminated against when they were paid less than men in other equal value jobs such as delivery. The equal value was assessed through skill, effort, responsibility and working conditions. The court ruled in favour of the women for the difference in wages while performing work of equal value.

24 It starts with Acknowledging the Gap Declare Equal Pay Day This will lead to greater awareness. It will lead to dialogue and discussion. We cannot become complacent on this issue; #27 It requires us to be fierce and courageous. It impacts us and future generations. It affects our quality of life today and tomorrow. Women outlive men they end up living in poverty in their retirement.

25 If we cannot close the gap for the average woman Indigenous Women Immigrant Women Women of Colour Disabled Women Senior Women Pay Inequality Matters. It has become an urgent issue that needs to be addressed in Canada.

26 Watch Out for Motion 70: Placed on Notice Declare March 18 th as Equal Pay Day across Canada

27 Thank You!