Pay Transparency
The Honourable David Piccini, M.P.P.
Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development, Government of Ontario
14th Floor, 400 University Ave, Toronto, ON M7A 1T7
Re: The new pay transparency proposal under “Working for Workers” legislation
Dear Minister Piccini,
On behalf of organizations serving Ontario’s girls and women in STEM fields, we are writing to commend, as well as address a key detail within, the November 5, 2023 announcement of Ontario’s proposed pay transparency legislation that will make it mandatory for salaries to be disclosed in job postings. This proposed legislation under “Working for Workers” is an important step forward; and for many of our organizations who have been pushing for positive change in this space, very much a reason to celebrate.
The key detail we wish to address is the implication that the government may only apply these new transparency stipulations to salaries that are under $100,000 per year. As organizations committed to women's economic prosperity and security, we would like to underscore that for this legislation to achieve all that it could for Ontario workers (as well as the workers of any other province that follows its example), it must be applied to all income levels, without exception.
The potential to help everyone, not just lower income workers but people who are consistently marginalized and underpaid by a lack of pay transparency, cannot be overstated. It is an opportunity to activate large scale systemic and structural changes for the benefit of all.
Pay inequity and wage gaps are exacerbated for women, immigrants, people of colour, and other marginalized groups at every income and seniority level. One example in TGC’s work with Statistics Canada has shown that immigrant women in STEM earn on average $0.55 to every dollar that non-immigrant men with the same qualifications earn. While some of these jobs may not fall under a $100,000 threshold, extant inequities will remain unaddressed throughout women’s careers while hidden behind a lack of pay transparency.
Though it is wonderful to see the government’s willingness to take important action for the workers of Ontario, we sincerely hope that it does not miss this chance to lead a meaningful shift that will benefit every one of its residents, regardless of gender, socioeconomic or cultural background.
It is crucial that any pay transparency legislation tabled during the week of November 14, 2023 encompass all jobs and all income levels. If we are truly committed to transparency and all of the benefits it provides, including all income levels in the Working for Workers legislation is the logical, high-impact action we’ve been waiting for. Not just for Ontario but for the entire country.
Sincerely,
Saadia Muzaffar, President, TechGirls Canada (TGC)
Rekha Rao-Mayya, CEO, Canada Learning Code (CLC)
Dr. Jennifer Jakobi - NSERC Chair for Women in Science and Engineering, BC/Yukon
Dr. Laleh Behjat - NSERC Chair for Women in Science and Engineering, Prairies
Dr. Shohini Ghose - NSERC Chair for Women in Science and Engineering, Ontario
Dr. Eve Langelier – NSERC Chair for Women in Science and Engineering, Quebec
Dr. Svetlana Barkanova - NSERC Chair for Inclusion in Science and Engineering, Atlantic
Dr. Kevin Hewitt - NSERC Chair for Inclusion in Science and Engineering, Atlantic
Dr. Stephanie MacQuarrie - NSERC Chair for Inclusion in Science and Engineering, Atlantic
Dr. Larissa Vingilis-Jaremko
Dr. Melanie Ratnam, President, Society for Canadian Women in Science & Technology (SCWIST)
Prof. Maydianne CB Andrade, President, Canadian Black Scientists Network (CBSN)