JEP loses pay-equity status

A court decision that renders the work of the Quebec Pay Equity Commission invalid affects the gender-equity status of Concordia’s job evaluation program, popularly known as JEP.

The province’s pay equity law was introduced on Nov. 21, 1996, and institutions that had programs already in place were invited to submit them for approval as equivalent to the pay equity norms. Concordia was the first institution in the educational sector to have its job evaluation program accepted as a gender-equity equivalent. More than 100 employers followed suit.

However, a challenge was mounted by the Concordia University Support Staff Union (CUSSU) through the Confederation of National Trade Unions (CSN); it was one of nine challenges to the law.

As quoted in The Gazette on Jan. 10, the judge said that the law “concluded that employers . . . had the means to assume the costs of pay equity . . . It cannot then allow for an escape route by accepting previous measures that do not meet the same requirements. . . . Nothing in the evidence allows one to conclude that pay equity was reached.”

The provincial government is likely to appeal the judgment by the Quebec Superior Court, which was rendered on Jan. 9. Asked for comment, CUSSU president Suzanne Downs said she is “ecstatic” about the decision. “It’s a major victory for women in Quebec.”

Many of Concordia’s employees are covered by JEP, including CUSSU (about 450 members), the professionals’ union CUPEU (about 300 members) and the managers’ association ACUMAE. Last year, a formula on pay equity was concluded with the other bargaining units at the university.

For its part, the university is actively seeking to replace JEP with a more workable system. A compensation review committee, with representatives from management and the bargaining units, has held several meetings. The committee chose a consulting firm to guide them through what promises to be a long and challenging process.

Harold Murphy, manager of Compensation Services, is enthusiastic about the project.

“JEP was a major breakthrough when it was brought in, but not any more,” he said. Increasingly, there are complaints from staff members and managers about JEP’s lack of flexibility, poor fit with the jobs people do at the university, and general application.

“Now there are other evaluation systems; two or three are broad enough to apply to Concordia,” Murphy said. The challenge will be to modify an existing program to suit the university and its employees.

It will need the widespread support of employees, but CUSSU, which represents clerical, secretarial and security employees and is almost entirely women, has refused to take part in the compensation review.

Downs said, “We feel that JEP is part of our collective agreement, and we’ll talk about it at the negotiating table.” CUSSU’s contract ended in 2002, and negotiations for a new contract have not yet begun.

CUPEU president Geoff Selig is taking part in the review. He says JEP lacks many features, but in general, gender inequity is not perceived as a concern for the professional union’s membership.