Two important victories for CUPE in pay equity at UQTR

CUPE, through its job evaluation program, has just won two important pay equity victories at the University of Quebec in Trois-Rivières (UQTR).

In 2019, two CUPE locals filed a complaint with the Quebec’s commission on standards, equality, and health and safety in the workplace (Commission des normes, de l’équité, de la santé et de la sécurité du travail—CNESST) against the university for failure to maintain pay equity: CUPE 1800 and CUPE 2661 represent approximately 800 members, including 400 support staff.

In its decision, the commission requires that UQTR proceed with an evaluation of the pay equity from January 1, 2011 to December 31, 2016, in accordance with the new provisions of the Pay Equity Act, amended on April 10, 2019.

The pay equity provisions significantly affect women workers. They provide, among other things, for full retroactivity in the form of a lump sum or a salary increase for workers in predominantly female job classes.

Once the work is done, the employer will have to provide CUPE with documents related to the work and allow the union to ask questions or comments.

Mario Fontaine, the union rep for the locals, questions the ethics of the UQTR. “It’s unfortunate that a university, whose role is to teach and do research, does not embrace fundamental social values like pay equity. Let’s not forget that most of the university’s staff are women,” he said.

CUPE’s job evaluation program keeps a constant watch over equity programs to ensure that they are implemented and maintained in the workplace.

“For us, this is an undeniable victory for the women who hold UQTR together. We are pleased with the CNESST’s decision, especially considering six years will be evaluated to maintain pay equity,” said Francois-Matthieu Drouin, CUPE representative in Job Evaluation.