An Overview of Pay Equity


Pay Equity Office, Pay Equity Commission of Ontario

New Pay Equity Plan Must Be Negotiated Between The TDSB and PSSP

- An Overview of Pay Equity -

The Pay Equity Commission requires that pay equity between male and female employees be established and maintained.

All of our bargaining units prior to amalgamation of the Toronto District School Board went through the pay equity process. However, given the following facts a new pay equity plan must be developed for our PSSP bargaining unit:

  • Our new PSSP bargaining unit has many more job classes than any of the previous bargaining units.
  • Many years have passed since there has been a review of the salary comparisons between our PSSP members and male comparison groups that were originally used to establish pay equity. Pay equity must be established and maintained.

    We will be serving notice to the TDSB in the near future to begin negotiation of a new Pay Equity Plan.

    Your bargaining unit strongly believes that when our female dominated job classes are compared with similar male dominated job classes at the TDSB, with regard to skill, effort, responsibility and working conditions our members pay rate will need to increase to achieve pay equity.

    Should an increase in salary be required to establish pay equity, that salary increase must be paid retroactive to the effective date of the plan (the date the TDSB was amalgamated).

    PROCESS FOR DEVELOPING A NEW PAY EQUITY PLAN WHERE THERE IS A BARGAINING AGENT (UNION)

    Notification to the other party
    If the employer or the bargaining agent decides that a pay equity plan is no longer appropriate because of a sale, they must notify the other party, in writing, that they wish to negotiate a new plan.

    Gender Neutral Comparison System
    The employer and the bargaining agent shall negotiate and agree on a gender neutral comparison system to evaluate jobs and make comparisons for the new plan. This may be the same comparison system used in the previous plan, an amended version, or a different system.

    Establishment and Job Class
    The employer and the bargaining agent may agree:

    • that the establishment is two or more geographic divisions;
    • that a job class is male or female

    Pay Equity Plan
    The employer and bargaining agent must evaluate female and male job classes, make comparisons, and determine any adjustments required to achieve pay equity for female job classes in the establishment. The results of comparisons should be listed in the new pay equity plan. Once the plan is agreed upon, the employer must post a copy of the pay equity plan in the workplace.

    Failure to Agree
    If the employer and union cannot agree on a new plan within 120 days from the date of notice to negotiate, the employer must notify the Commission. The bargaining agent may also notify the Commission of a failure to agree on an new plan.

    Deemed Approval and Pay Equity Adjustments
    When a pay equity plan has been executed (signed) by an employer and a bargaining agent, the plan is deemed approved by the Commission, and, on the day provided for in the plan, the employer must make any adjustments in compensation required to achieve pay equity.
  • For Detailed Information on Ontario's Pay Equity Commission, visit their web site: Pay Equity Office, Pay Equity Commission of Ontario