Media Advisory - For Some at Queen's, No Pay Equity Since 1991

KINGSTON, ON, Sept. 30, 2014 /CNW/ - Denied pay equity for more than two decades, a frustrated group of Queen's University employees is demanding an end to the blatant unfairness.

The employees and their union, United Steelworkers (USW) Local 2010, will hold a noon-hour rally Thursday to launch a campaign demanding that Queen's abide by Ontario's labour regulations in good faith.

WHO:	Queen's office and administrative staff, members of USW Local 2010
WHAT:	Rally to demand Queen's University abide by pay equity legislation
WHERE:	Richardson Hall, University Avenue, Queen's University
WHEN:	Thursday, October 2, 12:00 - 1:00 p.m.

"Our members are upset and frustrated by the unwillingness of Queen's to abide by Ontario's Pay Equity Act," says USW Local 2010 President Kelly Orser.

"There has been no documented pay equity compliance since 1991, despite successive agreements to comply and a 2012 'Letter of Understanding on Job Evaluation' signed by Queen's," Orser says.

USW Local 2010 represents 1,100 office and administrative employees, about 75% of whom are women.

"A fair, consistent job evaluation system is critical to implementing, applying and maintaining the requirements of the Pay Equity Act," Orser says.

"Queen's officials promised on two occasions over the past decade to address this issue, but have not fulfilled those promises. Workers' real wage levels are stagnating and we can't afford to await another unfulfilled promise," she says.

Thursday's rally will launch a campaign to educate employees and remind the university's administration that pay equity is the law in Ontario.

In 2012, Queen's and USW Local 2010 agreed to establish a committee to discuss the development of a job evaluation system to abide by the Pay Equity Act. The committee met five times in over two years, but Queen's broke off meetings, citing contrived obstacles and showing no signs of resuming the process.

SOURCE: United Steelworkers (USW)

Kelly J. Orser, President, USW Local 2010, 613-539-8210 (cell), [email protected]