This text is part of the special Syndicalism section
On November 21, the Pay Equity Act will blow out its 25th anniversary. After several decades of debate on equality between men and women, Quebec society was thus acquiring a tool that was supposed to enable women to obtain salaries equivalent to those of men. But a quarter of a century later, it is clear that the end of the road is still far away. The president of the Central of Democratic Unions (CSD), Luc Vachon, looks back on this unfinished journey.
“This law, at the base, aimed at reducing the systemic wage gaps between men and women, explains Luc Vachon. Right from the start, we talked about equivalent employment rather than equal employment. Indeed, the term equal employment introduces a fallacy. For two jobs with the same responsibility, the pay differentials were significant. The aim was to correct the wage differentials. The law was brought by unions in support of feminist movements and several women’s groups. All the central unions were united, and the law was adopted after a long struggle. “
Over the years, the wage gaps have narrowed considerably, admits the unionist, and this reduction in the gap is even more noticeable in the unionized world. In 2020, the salary of women in the unionized environment corresponds to 96.5% of the salary of men. For non-union members, this rate is only 84.9%. Even if great strides have been made in the direction of pay equity, there is still a lot of work to reach 100% in Quebec, he says.
The problem of family weight
If we count the absences generated by family obligations, a woman will earn up to 20% less than a man. An unacceptable situation in 2021. “We should no longer have to debate gender equity in 2021,” says Luc Vachon. Everyone agrees on the principle, and we must all organize ourselves to apply it fully. There is no compromise, but the CAQ government, like its predecessors, tries to negotiate by talking about dollars and budget savings. We must adapt social measures and offer more paid leave for parental obligations, so that women are less affected. Most of the family weight still rests on women, despite the enormous progress made in this area. “
Since 2010, a law obliges employers to carry out a pay equity exercise to close the pay gap between men and women. However, this law has been amended and emptied of its content. The company must do this exercise every five years from now on, and without retroactivity. As a result, women who were entitled to a regular salary reassessment in the past no longer have it. The unions won their case to change this and adjust the wages of women. However, they will wait even longer to get the equal pay to which they are entitled.
“For the pay equity evaluation, the employer does this alone. He does not need to set up a committee to maintain this assessment. In addition, he is authorized to change the assessment tool. We measure a situation with one tool and, five years later, with another. It is therefore difficult to have a similar result. This creates several distortions. Several employers, as well as the government, consider this evaluation as a cost, adds the president of the union organization. They find it complex and difficult to achieve. Above all else, they want to save money. Money remains the sinews of war and the main obstacle to equity. “
As evidenced by the difference in wages between unionized and non-unionized women, union organizations play a crucial role in wage bargaining. In this 25e anniversary of the law, Mr. Vachon believes that the time has come for them to bring to the surface the anomalies and flaws in the system to make it concrete change.
“Having laws is one thing, but having the means to enforce them is another,” he concludes. The CSD and unions in general must fight even harder to defend women as a whole. We only position pay equity on hourly wages, but there are side effects of being a woman in the workplace. Family life, holidays, well-being, we have to see this as a whole. Iniquity must be completely corrected in order to build a more just society for all. “