CAUT | ACPPU
Canadian Association of University Teachers
CAUT Policies
Policy Statement on Pay Equity¹
The Canadian Association of University Teachers is committed to equity in pay2 for all members of the academy. Pay equity and human rights legislation compliance is inadequate to ensure the elimination of continuing discriminatory pay differentials between academic staff. Equity in pay is critical to the realization of overall equity in employment. Pay inequity continues to have adverse impacts on individuals from historically disadvantaged groups including women, disabled persons, aboriginal peoples, people from ethnic minorities, people of colour, gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgendered peoples, and religious minorities. Pay inequity is discrimination.1. All discriminatory pay differentials must be eliminated.
2. Pay discrimination can only be remedied by the periodic implementation of comprehensive pay equity studies within each university, using non-discriminatory measures in order to identify the internal inequities and equalize compensation. Academic staff participation in a pay equity study is required in order to enhance understanding and acceptance of the process, goals and outcomes.
3. Pay determined by market differentials may be inherently discriminatory against women and members of the other protected groups. It must be scrutinized and, where necessary, remediated.
4. Definition and practice of merit increases may be discriminatory.
5. It is the responsibility of the employer to ensure complete and timely remediation of pay inequity.
Approved by the CAUT Council, April 2004;
editorial revisions, May 2010.
1. Pay Equity in this policy statement is a broader term than that used in provincial Pay Equity legislation. The latter is restricted to pay equity for women only, and as well is aimed at the comparison of equal pay for work of equal value. This policy statement is more expansive in its purpose and goals, permitting the remediation of inequity in pay for other marginalized groups, and enabling the comparison of pay between employees within the same job class / occupational group. Under Pay Equity legislation faculty would ordinarily be treated as being in one job class or group and therefore no comparison of wages for male and female faculty within the group or class would be allowed.
2. The term “pay” in this policy statement includes all aspects of compensation including salary, benefits and pension.
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