New Brunswick Advocates for Municipal Pay Equity

Pushing for a more equitable future, the New Brunswick Coalition for Pay Equity, steered by Executive Director Johanne Perron, has embarked on a project to ensure pay equity across municipalities in New Brunswick. In a bid to bridge the gender wage gap in public-sector workforces, the initiative offers municipalities the tools and training to conduct pay equity exercises. These exercises meticulously compare the wages of female and male-dominated jobs of equal value and aim to correct any disparities found.

Opportune Timing Amidst Municipal Amalgamations

The timing of this project is of strategic importance. Numerous municipalities are at present revising their pay structures in response to recent amalgamations. This circumstance presents a golden opportunity to integrate pay equity considerations into these reviews and ensure a balanced pay structure that is fair to both sexes.

Advocating for Legislative Change

Currently, New Brunswick’s pay equity legislation covers public-sector employees, including those in government departments, schools, hospitals, and Crown corporations. However, it surprisingly does not extend to municipal workers. This discrepancy is in stark contrast to other provinces like Ontario and Quebec, where pay equity laws cover municipal workers. Perron and her organization are advocating for a legislative change that will extend the reach of pay equity laws to all sectors under provincial jurisdiction. By encompassing both the private sector and municipalities, the proposed legislation aims to level the playing field for all employers in the region.

Ambitious Project Post-Amalgamation

Following the 2023 municipal amalgamations, New Brunswick now houses 77 local governments and 12 rural districts, all potential beneficiaries of this initiative. While the exact number of municipal civil servants who stand to benefit from this initiative remains unspecified, the scope of the project underscores its ambitious nature. The pay equity exercise involves a comprehensive assessment of different positions within an organization, taking into account various factors such as responsibilities and qualifications.

With six municipalities already showing interest in conducting pay equity exercises, the project is off to a promising start. As the project unfolds over the next 28 months, it will be interesting to witness the strides New Brunswick makes towards achieving pay equity and setting an example for other provinces to follow.