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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1986-03-19, Page 232A —GODERICH SIGNAL -.STAR, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 19, 1986 News b 11 women should be pai • from page IA earns only 72 per cent of what a man with the same education earns. Where did the idea come from.. Because most women don't perform the same kinds of jobs as men, pressure grew for legislation that would say not only that women should get paid the same as men when they were doing the same job, but that they should be paid the same when they were doing a job that had the same value to the employer as one done by a man. Many people might be surprised to learn that this is not a new idea dreamed up by the modern-day women's movement. The principle of "equal pay for work of equal value" was put forward in a resolution of the International Labour Organization ( a United Nations body in Geneva) more than 40 years ago. And the ILO's Convention 100 on the subject came into force in 1953. In ratifying that 'Convention in 1972, Canada committed itself to implement equal pay for work of equal value (or pay equity, as it is often called) in all its jurisdictions. Pay equity came into force in the federal jurisdiction as part of the Canadian Human Rights Act in • 1977. Quebec and Manitoba have also im- plemented it, and Ontario is about to do so. In the United States, 15 states have already implemented pay equity and another 15 are stddy g the possibility of enacting pay equity laws. Equal pay for work of equal value has also been im- plemented in Australia, in the United Kingdom and in other countries too, so we have plenty of experience to draw on. How would it work? Comparing two different kinds of jobs to determine what they should be paid may seem like comparing apples and oranges. In fact, it's not that difficult. Many employers have job evaluation systems that they use to set wages. Different jobs are given a certain number of points depending on what kind of education is, needed to do the job, what sort of responsibility is involved, what the working conditions are like what kind of skills are required — perhaps people skills, problem solving ability, and so on. Then, based on the number of points, a wage is assigned to the job. Pay equity works in just the same way. Under the Canadian for value f their work: Human Rights Act, for instance, employers must use a composite of the skill,. effort and responsibility required in the performance of the work and the -condi - .tions under which the work is performed. In the past, even where a "male job" and a "female job" came out with the same number of points, they were often not paid the same, Minnesota's Council on the Economic Status of Women, for in- stance, in 1981 found that the male - dominated job of delivery van driver and the female -dominated job -of clerk typist each received 117 points on a local govern- ment's job evaluation scale. The van driver, however, was paid $250 a month more than the clerk. Under the state's pay equity laws, jobs given the same number of points in an evaluation system would have to be given the same basic pay. Differences would be allowed, of course, where one worker had been doing the job.. for a longer period of time and so had moved up the pay scale as a result of his or her experience. It must be pointed out here that wage evaluations are made within one company. What are the problems? Even though pay equity has been ati- plemented successfully in many jurisdic- tions in Canada and elsewhere, there are still many people who are not convinced it would work for Canada. Their reserva- tions about the policy, however, may sometimes be based on lack of information or even misunderstanding about how pay equity works. Here are some of the com- mon criticisms: CRITICISM No. 1: Pay equity interferes with market forces = Many people feel uneasy at the prospect of tampering with so called "market forces", because they believe market forces to be neutral and fair. As we have seen in the above exam- ple, however, "market forces" have con- sistently undervalued the work done by women. We're seeing the results in the in- creasing feminization of poverty. Almost half of all the single parent families head- ed by women. in Canada have incomes below the poverty, line. More than 60 per- cent of elderly women living on their own are poor. These shocking statistics reflect the value "market forces" have put on women's work. ALL CHILDREN'S BOOKS O/% OFF ALL PLUSH TOYS 1 0/0 OFF Great Gifts For Mom... Bell -6.49 Plate -12.99 Mug 5..49: Figurine -15.98 Allan's SOLID CHOCOLATE Easter Bunny 100 gr.' Allan's SOLID CHOCOLATE Easter Bunny 250 gr. PEPSI 1.5 Litre (Plus Deposit & Tax) TIMEX WATCHES i . Save 30e Novelty Gifts by contenova... • 499: j Each , Gift Boxed r. Gifts For Him... PLUS 10°'° Off 299 ' - • Save 1 0 Lowney's OH HENRY, GLOSSETTES RAISINS, CANDY FILLED EASTER EGGS 170 gr. Bassett's LICORICE ALLSORTS 350 gr. For The Kids... •Easter Egg Colouring Kits 5 different kits to choose from Starling at 51.79 • Easter Decorating Grass— ..ornaamm 6! Save 0c Wooden Bottle Openers (Mounts on Wall) 99 ■ •Beer Steins •Cork Screws •Shot Glasses eAnd Much More! Give ABook This Easter,! NEW PAPERBACK RELEASES... UPON • 10140BROW IPA , coalition The marketplace has biases too — we call it "systemic discrimination". In other words, discrimination against women is not necessarily intentional or deliberate, it's the system itself that is biased. Pay equity is designed to correct this bias and to make sure that the jobs women do are paid according to the skill and qualifications needed to do the job and not according to the gender of the person doing it. CRITICISM No. 2: Pay equity will discourage women from moving out of the job ghettos - This Government is address- ing the problems of job ghettos through special training programs to help women enter non-traditional occupations and through' employment equity legislation. But to suggest that the wage gap between men and women could be eliminated if women just took oyer "men's jobs" is, clearly impractical. It has been estimated that to achieve this kind of integration in the United States, more than 10 million women would have to change jobs with more than 10 million merit Even if we could imagine such a Turn to page 3A • Pay equity important to women • from page l A ' of secretaries. Accordingly when female secretaries and male outside maintenance workers, were evaluated, outside maintenance workers received many more points for what was perceived to be their poor working conditions, i.e. ex- posure to cold, rain etc. Under the new systems now being put in place, °it is recognized that points must be given to of- fice workers who are exposed to occupa- tional hazards such as eye and back strain, VDT exposure, stress and arinbient.smoke. It is also important to note, says Cornish, that equal value legislation will not mean that employers will lose control of the evaluation of their jobs. What it does mean is the value of job characteristics cannot reflect any historically discr minamed views of the work traditionally p by women. As long as the evaluation is purged of any sex bias, it is clear that the value to, be attached to any job will vary from industry to industry and employer to employer depending , on the particular characteristics of each place of employ- ment. . "The Ontario government's green paper on pay equity has left no doubt that equal value legislation will be passed. Our ad- vice to the' business community is that • employers must now accept this new reali- ty." says Cornish. "The time for debating if we should have equal value legislation is over. The time has come to implement it." Each emploger should start to take steps - --for-the-or-derl-y-introduction of equal value into the work place. "It is not good business to sit back and wait for the legislation and then be forced to change your employment practices on the basis of a subsequent complaint by one of your workers or your union," says Cornish. "If you start to take steps now, you will be able to have more control over the process of implementation." Accordingly employers should Sit down now and start to analyze their present wage practices, says Cornish. They should start budgeting for the money needed to redress the wage gap. They should deter- mine what are their • female and male dominated job positions.' "Evaluate how those jobs are rated on the basis of skill, ef- fort, responsibility and working condi- tions. Make sure your evaluation criteria are free of any conscious or unconscious sex bias."say. s Cornish. If an employer determines a female dominated job is comparable to that of a male dominated job on the point scale but • has not been paid comparably, steps should be taken to eliminate the wage gap, suggests Cornish. • , Employers should also analyze what otheroccupational barriers their women workers may face. They should consider an affirmative action to promote women, meeting the daycare needs of their staff and a sex'hal harrassment policy. There is, no doubt implementation will not be easy nor will it be inexpensive, says Cornish, "Employers must come to grips with the fact that the wage discrimination faced by women can't continue. Justice re- quires that the value of women's work must be recognized with increased wages. "While businesses in the past have had the advantage of underpaying women for the value of their work, that advantage must . end. Whether employers intend to systematically undervalue women's work is not the point. The discrimination is there and must be stopped. It is asimple matter of fairness." states Cornish. Sweet Valley High Family Album If Tomorrow Comes A Dinner of Herbs Spring Break by Danielle Steel by Sidney Sheldon by Catherine Cookson by Francine Pascal 5e5 5596 5B6 3bo HAIR DESIGN WOMENFOR MEN EAR PIERCING AVAILABLE ... 890 a beg • Easter Baskets 3 Sizes to choose from :NORTH SIDE SHOPPER'S SQUARE<,.. GODERICH 52446901