WAGE GAP INITIATIVE REPORT: GAP WIDENS AGAIN

"N.B.’s 3rd progress report about its 5-yr plan to eliminate wage inequality shows the wage gap increased in 2008, with men earning 14.1% more than women, up from 12.6% in 2007. "I'd like to see that we be able to bring it back down to where we started in 2006 within the next couple of years,” said Mary Schryer, minister for the status of women. Schryer said one reason the wage disparity continues to grow is because so much government stimulus money is going to the construction industry... Critics say the widening pay gap is a sign the government should legislate pay equity in the private sector. Schryer said it would be expensive to monitor. The Liberal government passed a law for public-sector employees… Former Tory minister Margaret-Ann Blaney, who launched the 5-yr action plan, opposed legislating pay equity when she was in government but has changed her view… Blaney said legislating pay equity is her personal view, not party policy."

Excerpts, N.B. wage gap, 18 Aug 2009, CBC News via NBWomen's News - August 24, 2009 a service of the New Brunswick Advisory Council on the Status of Women

Men Outearn Women in Almost All Occupations

From the Institute for Women's Policy Research:

A new analysis released by the Institute for Women's Policy Research (IWPR) today on Equal Pay Day shows that men out-earn women in nearly every occupation for which data are available.

Of the more than 500 occupational categories for which sufficient data are provided by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in only 5 occupations do women earn the same or more than men.

Men earn more than women even in jobs that are most common among women, such as

- Administrative assistants: women earn only 83.4 cents for a man's dollar
- Elementary and middle school teachers: women earn 87.6 cents for a man's dollar
- Registered nurses: women earn 87.4 cents for a man's dollar

Men and women still tend to be concentrated in very different jobs, with the most common jobs among women paying less than the most common jobs held by men. For example, the highest paying of the ten most common occupations for women, 'Registered Nurses,' pays $1,011 in median weekly earnings, whereas the highest paying of men's top ten most common jobs is 'Managers, all other,' which pays $1,359 per week. The lowest paying of the most common
jobs for women is 'Cashier' at $349 per week, whereas the lowest paying most common job for men is 'Cook' at $404 per week.

Ariane Hegewisch, Study Director at the Institute for Women's Policy Research, says, "Women tend to be in the minority of workers in the occupations with the highest earnings. We need to ensure that women are fully informed about the earnings potential of an occupation before they
choose their careers."

The analysis uses data from the Bureau of Labor statistics from 2008.

IWPR Director of Research Dr. Barbara Gault notes, "The data paint a clear picture of a workforce that remains strongly divided on the basis of sex -- with women landing in the worst jobs our labor market has to offer, and earning less than men even in the exact same jobs. Our economy can only thrive when opportunities are equally available regardless of gender or race."

FACT SHEET

Federal Government Weakens Access to Pay Equity

The federal government has adopted a law which weakens pay equity instead of making sure this human right is being recognized and instead of following the 2004 Pay Equity Task Force recommendations for proactive legislation. It is called the Public Sector Equitable Compensation Act and was hidden in the budget bill.

Instead of making sure that predominantly female jobs receive the same pay as predominantly male jobs of the same value, the Equitable Compensation Act relegates pay equity to bargaining and to the market. It even includes up to $50,000 fines for unions which would “dare” helping or encouraging its members to lodge a pay equity complaint.

At the beginning of this month, the NBRebelles - Fredericton spearheaded a letter writing campaign regarding pay equity legislation. Feel free to check out the resources we put together and continue to contact your elected officials on this issue:

• Example Letter
• List of MLAs
• Our PM
• Pay Equity Coalition

May 1st Pay Equity Action - From your desk!

We're calling on you to take part in a May 1st pay equity action - from the comfort of your home or work!

This Friday, take a few minutes out of your day to send an e-mail, mail a letter, send a fax, or make a phone call to our Minister Responsible for the Status of Women, Hon. Mary Schryer. We'd like Ms. Schryer to know that there is more work to be done on the pay equity front in our province, and that we're keeping an eye on the progress.

Please feel free to use the example letter (in French and English) we've put together and address information to create your own correspondence. The New Brunswick Coalition for Pay Equity has some great resources you may want to take a look at to help you write your own letter. Also, feel free to send similar messages to any of our other representatives! And our PM!

This is a decentralized action, but please CC or BCC the NBRebELLEs - Fredericton on any e-mails, so we can keep you posted on how many people take part.

In Solidarity,
NBRebELLEs - Fredericton