November 19, 1998

Todd gives in to UNW demands, removes pay equity from table

The UNW is now "cautiously optimistic" about reaching a settlement with the GNWT, now that pay equity talks have been removed from collective agreement talks.

ANNETTE BOURGEOIS
Nunatsiaq News

IQALUIT — NWT Finance Minister John Todd last week yielded to months of pressure, and removed the settlement of a decade-old pay equity dispute from collective bargaining negotiations with the Union of Northern Workers.

"The offer to settle the equal pay complaint was taken off the table when it became evident that an agreement would not be achieved at the bargaining table," Todd said.

UNW President Jackie Simpson, though gaining clear ground in the often bitter dispute, downplayed Todd's announcement in a press release last week, saying she was "pleased" with the decision.

"This is what we've wanted all along," she said.

Government employees, primarily female workers, have been fighting the GNWT for pay they say they're owed because of discriminatory paying practices.

Earlier this year a federal appeals court ruled the government did practice discrimination. Since then, the Union of Northern Workers and the GNWT have been trying to determine exactly how much retroactive pay should be paid.

Reluctant decision

Todd termed the insistence to remove pay equity from the table an "absolute tragedy," and absolved himself of responsibility for the move.

"It was at the UNW's insistence and some members of this House that we take pay equity off the table, so we have taken it off the table," Todd told members of the legislative assembly last week. "We want to put the money in the hands of our employees where it rightly belongs. We are certainly not going to take responsibility for it not going forward."

In the last territorial budget, Todd set aside $40 million to settle the pay equity dispute and negotiate a new collective agreement with government employees.

Of that amount, $25 million was tagged for retroactive pay to employees who had been discriminated against. The UNW, however, argues that amount is insultingly low.

During the past several months of bargaining, most recently under the direction of a court-appointed mediator, Todd had staunchly refused to remove pay equity from the table, saying it must be settled in conjunction with a new collective agreement.

During negotiations the GNWT introduced a new "Hay Plan" method of reclassifying pay scales for government jobs, which will increase salaries for currently underpaid workers by thousands of dollars. At the same time, it would determine retroactive pay amounts.

To date, the UNW has rejected the Hay Plan as not being gender neutral.

Controlled from Ottawa?

Todd told members of the legislative assembly that he believes the UNW is being controlled by Public Service Alliance of Canada members in Ottawa, who are currently fighting the federal government on a similar complaint of discriminatory pay practices.

He said the Hay system is used throughout Canada by governments and organizations to determine gender neutrality in jobs and he finds the resistance shown by the UNW to accept it baffling.

"I find it somewhat ironic that the PSAC representative on the bargaining team is the one holding up the argument that it is not gender-neutral when PSAC, I am advised, uses the same Hay Plan Job Evaluation System to determine gender neutrality in their organization," Todd told MLAs.

By demanding that pay equity be removed from contract negotiations, the UNW is dragging out a settlement that would pour millions of dollars into the pockets of its members, Todd charged.

"[Pay equity] is going to end up in the courts for the years to come and two new governments... are going to have to deal with that issue," he said.

With the removal of pay equity from the bargaining table, the UNW now seems ready to plod ahead with contract discussions and settle outstanding issues such as job security, the use of casual employees and pay rates attached to the Hay Plan.

"Our job now is to continue negotiations to achieve the best collective agreement possible to our members," Simpson said.

During recent talks held Nov 10-12, GNWT negotiators produced a 64-page paper detailing changes involved in moving from the current job classification system to the Hay system.

"That document is very complex and can't be analysed in one day," Simpson said. "It would be irresponsible of us not to have our experts study the figures. You simply can't do that overnight."

UNW "cautiously optimistic"

Both parties agreed to extend mediation talks to Dec. 12-13.

"We are cautiously optimistic about our ability to secure a new collective agreement," Simpson said of that timeline.

Though pay equity is no longer on the table, the outcome of contract negotiations, and the acceptance of the Hay system, may ultimately settle the dispute.

"[I]t should, in fact, at the end of the day, bring about the result of the pay equity issue because that is really what it is all about," Todd said.