News | UFCW Canada - Canada’s Private Sector Union

UFCW Canada activists Take Back the Night in Brampton

Brampton, Ont. – September 18, 2016 – UFCW Canada Local 1006A activists recently participated in the Take Back the Night rally and walk in Brampton, Ontario.

Ontario gender wage gap report a “good first step” says UFCW Canada leader

Toronto – August 26, 2016 – The release of the Ontario government’s Final report and recommendations of the Gender Wage Gap Strategy Steering Committee, "is a good first step in recognizing that the laws must change to improve the lives and future of women workers across the province,” says Paul Meinema, the national president of UFCW Canada.

Help close the Gender Pay Gap today

UFCW Canada - Report to Ontario on the Gender Wage Gap

UFCW Canada submission to the House of Commons Special Committee on Pay Equity

#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

UFCW 500 member puts “Women Organizing Women” training to use

Montreal – July 18, 2016 – After taking the UFCW Canada course on Women Organizing Women, which was offered to UFCW members across Quebec this past April, UFCW Canada Local 500 member Marianne Desabrais has put her training to use by participating in a successful campaign to unionize workers at the Bulk Barn store on Henri Bourassa in Montreal.

UFCW Canada calls on government to introduce pay equity legislation

Toronto – July 4, 2016 – The House of Commons Special Committee on Pay Equity recently tabled its first report after hearing submissions from UFCW Canada and other concerned groups.

Shelter and support services for victims of domestic violence are severely lacking, study finds

Toronto – June 1, 2016 – The Canadian Network of Women’s Shelters and Transition Houses (CNWST) recently released their third national survey, entitled Shelter Voices, which captured a “one-day snapshot” of transition houses and shelters in Canada by analyzing the experiences of women and children who used these facilities in order to escape violence.