For nearly 20 years, pay equity has been law in Ontario. But when it comes to meeting its legal obligations to women working in predominantly female workplaces, like child care centres that use the proxy comparison method for pay equity, the Ontario government is a ‘deadbeat’ funder.
Currently, the province owes $78 million for 2006-2007 to over 100,000 women, thousands of them child care workers and educators, who earn on average $23,000 a year, and are among the working poor.
On October 24, Child Care Worker and Early Childhood Educator Appreciation Day** in Ontario, pay equity and child care advocates will hold a media conference at Queen’s Park to highlight the Ontario government’s obligations to child care staff under pay equity legislation.
WHO: Elizabeth Ablett, Ontario Coalition for Better Child Care (OCBCC)
Mary Cornish, Cavalluzzo Hayes Shilton McIntyre & Cornish (Pay Equity legal expert)
Fred Hahn, Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE)
Irene Harris, Ontario Federation of Labour
WHAT: Child Care Worker and Early Childhood Educator
Appreciation Day – Pay equity media conference
WHERE: Queen’s Park Media Studio
WHEN: Wednesday, October 24, 2007 – 10:00 a.m.
** Attention photo assignment editors/desks
Child Care Centre Photo Opportunity
Following the Queen’s Park media conference, at 11:00 a.m. child care workers and early childhood educators at Hester How Child Care Centre (Toronto City Hall) will be celebrated with flowers and awards as part of the City of Toronto recognition ceremonies for Child Care Worker and Early Childhood Educator Appreciation Day – Wednesday, October 24, 2007.
Toronto City Councillors, Joe Mihevc and Janet Davis, will attend the 11:00 a.m. Hester How event.
Directions to Hester How: Toronto City Hall front entrance – right at the rotunda toward the east tower elevators. Take a left down the hallway there to the first door on your right. There is a sign before the hallway indicating the way to Hester How.
For more information please contact:
Elizabeth Ablett, Executive Director, OCBCC 416-538-0628 Ext. 3 or cell: 647-291-7557
Stella Yeadon, CUPE Communications 416-578-8774