As gender equality week draws to a close, labour organizations have highlighted the importance of government investment in public services, care and women’s jobs to continue to advance equity.
The United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) joined a coalition of groups, including 2SLGBTQ+ advocacy organizations, to call for continued funding for Women and Gender Equality Canada (WAGE). Many departments of the core public services are facing potential cuts as the first federal budget under Prime Minister Mark Carney looms.
Earlier this summer, Finance Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne asked his fellow cabinet members to come up with “ambitious saving proposals.” Champagne is aiming to cut operational spending by 7.5 per cent in 2026-27, 10 per cent in 2027-28 and 15 per cent in 2028-29. Equity advocates were further alarmed when an internal WAGE forecast showed that the department plans to spend $330 million less in 2027-2028 than it forecasts it will in 2025-2026. This represents a 81 per cent decrease in the three year period.
UFCW highlighted that the work done by WAGE is important to advancing equity and equality. It provides frontline programs and supports to some of Canada’s most vulnerable communities
Beyond the public services that could be lost by deep cuts to the WAGE budget, these cuts also represent jobs that could be lost. As of March 31, 2024, WAGE had approximately 438 employees, but the department plans to have the number of full-time equivalent employees cut down to 254 by 2028.
Aims to aggressively save on the government’s operational spending have already been shown to put 50,000 jobs at risk. Cuts to WAGE only contribute to the problem facing many public service workers and those who benefit from the programs they provide.
READ MORE: Carney cuts could lead to more than 50,000 job losses, research shows
Bert Blundon, president of the National Union of Public and General Employees, has also raised concerns over potential cuts facing WAGE.
“This is a moment for leadership and ambition,” said Blundon. “Canada must not weaken public services, nor should we abandon our commitments to equity, climate action, and reconciliation in order to satisfy Trump’s demands. Budget 2025 must be about building a fairer, stronger Canada that works for everyone.”
Outside of highlighting the issues facing WAGE, labour organizations are also calling for funding to be directed towards Modernizing the Employment Equity Act and supporting the work of the Pay Equity Commissioner.
The Canadian Labour Congress (CLC) is calling for the appointment of a dedicated Employment Equity Commissioner, the Improvement of data collection and disaggregation to support intersectional analyses, and a $30 million contribution to respond to the gendered impacts of Canada’s care crisis.
“Unions know that the economic resilience of our country depends upon the labour of women and gender diverse workers, whether that is in the workplace, at home or in our communities,” said Bea Bruske, President of the CLC.
The Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) provided an update on the Pay Equity Committee. Made up of representatives from the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat , 17 bargaining agents, and non-unionized employees, PSAC said the committee is moving steadily.
The committee has reportedly started on its third step towards developing the final pay equity plan. This step involves gender-neutral job evaluation of the value of work in female-predominant and male-predominant jobs.
The tool to evaluate has yet to develop but further updates are expected as the work progresses.
While the funding forecast looks bleak, labour organizations have been using their voice to call for investment in equity programs.
“As this government prepares to unveil its first full budget this fall, Canada’s unions are putting our federal leaders on notice,” said Siobhan Vipond, Executive Vice-President of the Canadian Labour Congress. “It’s time to centre gender equity in our budgetary policy and ensure it is a key proponent of sustaining Canada’s economic growth.”
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