In Canada, this year Equal Pay Day is April 12, 2022. Equal Pay Day marks the day that the average woman must work in order to have earned what the average man did in 2021. It’s 2022 and unions and other progressive organizations are still fighting to close the pay gap in Canada. We pride ourselves on so many progressive labour conditions but when it comes to ensuring women are paid equally we still fall short.
The pay gap is not just about gender. It’s about the intersectional lives of women of colour, Indigenous women, immigrant and migrant women, women with disabilities, elderly women and women who identify as LGBTQ. As women’s lives intersect with other forms of discrimination they experience, the gap increases substantially.
This year will be marked with an Ontario All-Party Leaders Debate on Women’s Economic Justice, making it the first Women’s political debate since 1985. It is well past time for women to be included in shaping policy to remove the gap. Visit equalpaycoalition.org to RSVP to watch the debate live on April 12 from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. ET!
Unifor believes in equal pay for equal work. That belief informs our advocacy for legislation at the federal and provincial levels to ensure working women are treated equitably by all employers, unionized or not.
The union also works with coalition partners to fight for progressive policies that will shape a better future for all women. We join the Equal Pay Coalition in five key asks to end the gender pay gap.
- Raising the minimum wage to a living wage,
- Mandating paid sick days for workers,
- Implementing the Pay Transparency Act,
- Establishing affordable, accessible public child care with decent wages and conditions for child care workers, and
- Rebuilding the economy by funding public services and providing health, community & social services, and education workers with decent wages and working conditions.
Just last month, we took a strong step toward these goals as Ontario joined every other province and territory and finally signed a child care agreement with the federal government. Progress is possible when we fight together.
For more information on Equal Pay Day, including facts to dispel common myths, please visitwww.equalpaycoaliton.org.
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