TORONTO, April 15, 2003 -- Despite advancements in attaining higher wages, pay equity has not been achieved in many workplaces, says York University Social Science Prof. Jan Kainer in her new book, Cashing in on Pay Equity? Supermarket Restructuring and Gender Equality (Sumach Press, 2002).

The culmination of more than 10 years of research on the Canadian food retail sector, one of the largest employers of women, Kainer's book traces the growth of supermarkets, the mergers and amalgamations that created supermarket giants, their growing domination over food distribution and the employment of women in low-paid grocery clerk and cashier positions.

"Pay equity has been on the political agenda of the women's movement in Canada for at least 25 years," says Kainer. "In that time, political action by women and the labour movement has achieved pay equity laws in six of 10 Canadian provinces. Despite this, a gender wage-gap, ranging between 15 and 30 per cent, continues to exist."

She adds, "As supermarket employees, women continue to face systemic wage discrimination, difficult working conditions and limited career advancement. In addition, their unions do not always stand behind pay equity initiatives."

Using Ontario's pay equity law as a case study, Kainer analyzed how this law has been translated and implemented by supermarket chains. She says that restructuring of the workforce, growth of part-time jobs at the expense of full-time ones, resistance from business and marketplace pressures are obstacles to improving work conditions and advancing pay equity.

Kainer is an assistant professor and the coordinator of the Labour Studies Program (in the Division of Social Science, Faculty of Arts) at York University. Her research focuses on labour practices, the Canadian economy, pay equity, labour relations and women workers.

 

-30-

For further information, please contact:

Prof. Jan Kainer	Ken Turriff
Coordinator, Labour Studies Program	Media Relations
York University	York University
416-736-2100, ext. 20545	416-736-2100, ext. 22086
jkainer@yorku.ca	kturriff@yorku.ca

YU/039/03