Union conference hopes to address wage gap
In a celebration of InSASKATOON ternational Women’s Day, a union that represents Saskatchewan workers is hoping to empower its female members at its 12th annual Women’s Conference by addressing the struggles women face as members of the workforce.
The United Food and Commercial Workers Union (UFCW ) Local 1400 is attuned to the issues women face, says secretary-treasurer Lucia Flack Figueiredo, because the majority of workers they represent are employed part-time in the retail and service industry — a workplace demographic commonly dominated by female employees.
This year’s conference theme, “Press for Progress,” is intended to engage the women — and men — in discussions on how to address and close the gender wage gap. The conference was held Friday and Saturday in Saskatoon. “Our members are very aware of the disparity between full-time, goodpaying, benefit-providing jobs and part-time precarious work,” Flack Figueiredo said. “Now, my women have an advantage, in that the women who will be at this conference are from unionized groups and that’s one way to bridge the gender wage gap.”
She says while women within the UFWC Local 1400 might not be experiencing the same effect of the gender wage gap as non-unionized workers, it is still beneficial to make them aware of how this disparity may be affecting their neighbours and what steps they can take to try to address it — from lobbying the government to engaging in discussions within the home and community.
One of the biggest issues Flack Figueiredo says is causing this gender wage gap is the lack of affordable childcare. She says the wage gap isn’t caused by women being paid less than men in the same job; it’s caused by women having to work the more precarious parttime jobs that offer more flexible hours. Flack Figueiredo says the end goal of the conference is to have the attendees leave feeling positive and empowered to make changes within their own lives.