In Depth
This page provides details on the Equal Pay BC issue.
How did we get here?
Read our Backgrounder.
Equal Pay Briefing
For Government MLAs
Overview
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Community Social Services organizations provide support to BC’s most vulnerable citizens, including seniors, people with developmental disabilities and those living in poverty.
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The sector employs over 35,000 people in provincially funded positions, and 17,000 of those people do not belong to unions.
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From 1994 to 2019, it was government practice to provide the same increases to public sector employers for union and non-union workers in equivalent positions.
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In 2019, the government chose to fund Low Wage Redress increases for unionized workers only.
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Since 2019, the gap between increases for union and non-union workers has increased by at least 12% and up to 30% for some positions.
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Recruitment and Retention are significant concerns for the whole social services sector.
Issue
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This practice discriminates against a workforce that is almost 80% women.
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This practice puts services to vulnerable people in BC at risk.
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Ministry Mandate letters direct ministers to improve services to vulnerable people and address inequities faced by women and people of colour. This practice of unequal pay contradicts these mandates.
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Because the government has continued this practice for three years despite advocacy efforts, a group of 11 employees from different agencies, plus 26 agencies, have filed an Unfair Labour Practice complaint against the Provincial Government.
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There is a Labour Relations Board hearing starting September 20, 2021, to address this complaint.
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Regardless of whether the Government wins or loses, they will have established a position against equal pay for people that work in this vital sector.
Action Request
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Ask the Premier to stop discriminating against workers in Community Social Services.
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Ask the Minister for Social Development and Poverty Reduction to pay all workers fairly.
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Ask the Minister for Children and Family Development to pay all workers fairly.
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Ask the PSEC / Minister of Finance to pay all workers fairly.