In October 2023, SCPCN announced a Job Classification Project. Here is what you need to know about Job Evaluations and why it is important for this type of “project” to be a collaborative effort between workers and management.
How CUPE Can Help You and Your Union – Job Evaluation
Now more than ever with inflation and today’s economic climate, it is important that you are being compensated fairly for the value of the work that you do. The opportunity for proper evaluation of jobs is one way to achieve value for the work you do. A unionized environment can hold an employer accountable to ensure there is a fair and transparent pay evaluation process in place – not a possibly arbitrary, completely one-sided classification review where workers have no say and the bosses decide everything. CUPE has trained specialists that can assist locals in negotiating an agreed job evaluation program to ensure that individuals are not evaluated for more or less pay through prejudice, whim, favouritism, or a simple misunderstanding or misrepresentation of what a job entails.
What is job evaluation?
It is a systematic process of determining the relative worth or value of a job and not the skills, abilities or performance of an individual.
Why fight for a job evaluation system rather than employer-led review?
The goal is to ensure that jobs with similar or characteristic responsibilities receive fair and equitable compensation. This becomes particularly crucial when addressing issues of discrimination, including the pursuit of equal pay for work of equal value. The best practice involves a collaborative effort where both parties, bosses and workers, share equal footing at the table. This approach ensures that the programs and rationale are non-discriminatory, rooted in sound principles, and consistent.
By actively participating, you get the chance to uncover and address unexplained or structural causes of unequal pay. Traditional job evaluation methods and classification systems often favor male-dominated jobs, neglecting or undervaluing skills associated with female-dominated roles. The job evaluation process serves to rectify existing wage structure inequities, appropriately classify new jobs, and foster more harmonious labor-management relations. However, it’s essential to note that job evaluation is not a cure for all issues.
Equal pay for equal work.
The pandemic has highlighted how important it is to recognize and value the work of women in frontline public services, such as cleaning, childcare, social care, and healthcare. Unfortunately, it has also shown that jobs predominantly done by women are still not valued enough. This emphasizes the need for fair pay and good-quality work as part of a bigger plan to invest in high-quality public health, care, and welfare services that are accessible to everyone and ensure protection for all. CUPE fights on both fronts.
Individual workers within an organization have many things in common such as hours of work and working conditions. All workers should be fairly paid for their labour. When you unite as workers, you can successfully negotiate with your employer to be paid appropriate wage adjustments.
Our vision is to play a critical and recognized role in meeting CUPE’s goal of achieving fair and equitable wages for all members. We are recognized as leaders in the field of Job Evaluation
Read up on an example of a CUPE win: https://cupe.ca/cupe-scores-major-victory-job-evaluation-dispute-health-care-sector