The Gap for Women Workers Grows -- Join AMAPCEO to Take Action

AMAPCEO joins workers around Ontario to raise our voices for fairness to observe Equal Pay Day, which highlights the growing earnings gap faced by women workers.

The Equal Pay Day date, Monday April 20, 2015, marks how far into the next year a woman on average must work to earn the same amount made by a man last year.

This year, Ontario workers are facing a setback: Equal Pay Day is four days later than in 2014, when it fell on April 16th. According to the most recent Statistics Canada data, the average annual earnings of all women in Ontario as compared to men is 68.5% – or a gap of 31.5%.  

AMAPCEO is encouraging all members to express their solidarity by wearing red. Let’s work together to end the gender wage gap and raise the wage for workers in Ontario.  

On Monday April 20 let’s add our voices for fairness and take action to close the gap! Show your support by wearing red in the workplace.  

Here are three simple tasks you can do:  

1. Organize your workplace colleagues to wear red on Monday April 20;  
2. Take a photo of yourself or a group of AMAPCEO members wearing red and email it to activist@amapceo.on.ca or post it on twitter and include #EqualPayDay and #AMAPCEO; and
3. Share this action with a friend or family member and on social media. Ask them to wear red and tweet using #EqualPayDay.

Equal pay for equal work is a fundamental principle that AMAPCEO has fought for throughout our history.

Quick facts on Equal Pay Day:  

• The gap in wages also substantially increases within women as a group when we consider the intersection of other forms of discrimination such as those experienced by racialized women, Aboriginal and First Nations women, immigrant women, women with a disability and queer, lesbian, bisexual or Transgender women.
• For more information on the Equal Pay Coalition please visit: www.equalpaycoalition.org or email info@equalpaycoalition.org
• Read the Case for Pay Equity brief by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives.
• The Statistics Canada measure includes all the women part-time workers, and about two thirds of all part-time workers are women.
• The gender gap in wages increased by 3% over last year.
• Learn more on How to Calculate the Gap.
• Equal Pay Day is recognized internationally on an annual basis and the date varies by country (or in Canada by province) each year depending on the wage, employment and economic factors in each jurisdiction.

 For regular updates and announcements, be sure to follow us on Twitter @AMAPCEONews.