Member Voices: BCFED Political Action Committee Update
March 30, 2023
Below, FSA member Andrea Matthews provides an update on the activities of the BC Federation of Labour’s (BCFED) Political Action Committee (PAC). The FSA appoints members to 10 tifferent BCFED committees and working groups, including the PAC. Andrea has represented the FSA on a variety of caucuses, committees, and recently worked as the FSA’s interim Junior Labour Relations Representative.
In its most recent meeting, the Political Action committee reflected on this year’s BC budget, which included some notably progressive initiatives such as increased funding for the Employment Standards Branch, free prescription birth control, and improvements to income and disability insurance. The committee noted, however, that one area where the government fell short was in introducing legislation on pay transparency rather than pay equity.
Pay transparency legislation only requires that gender pay gaps be reported, which leaves women and other equity-seeking groups (particularly those in non-unionized workplaces) to fight for pay fairness. According to the BCFED, BC is one of only a few jurisdictions in Canada that has not enacted proactive pay equity legislation, and as a result, BC is tied with Alberta in having the worst gender pay gap in the country. Pay equity legislation can help to close that gap.
The BCFED, along with more than 125 organizations, has signed an open letter calling on the BC government to enact pay equity legislation. You can find more information and a link to add your name in support here.
Andrea Matthews