Moncton — The New Brunswick Coalition for Pay Equity officially launched its new campaign, “End the Secrecy. Transparency!”, at a bilingual Lunch and Learn event in Moncton today. The campaign aims to spark political action toward pay transparency legislation in New Brunswick.
“We’re launching this campaign because it’s time to break the silence around pay,” says Raphaëlle Valay-Nadeau, Chair of the Coalition. “Pay transparency gives people the tools to understand, compare, and demand equitable wages. As long as pay remains in the shadows, inequities are allowed to persist and deepen.”
Developed in collaboration with Professor Kerri Froc of the University of New Brunswick, the work is grounded in extensive research on pay transparency and built on consultations with unions, community groups, legal experts, academics, and activists.
The launch also featured Jan Borowy, a prominent labour lawyer and Co-Chair of Ontario’s Equal Pay Coalition. Drawing on decades of experience in the fight for equity and transparency, she applauded the Coalition’s efforts: “New Brunswick has everything it needs to become a national leader — by adopting both pay transparency legislation and a pay equity law that finally includes the private sector. This is a historic opportunity to take real action for economic justice — and the time to act is now,” said Borowy.
The proposed measures for New Brunswick are inspired by legislative advances across the country and include:
- Requiring employers to include salary ranges in job postings
- Protecting employees’ right to discuss their pay
- Prohibiting questions about past salaries during hiring
- Requiring large employers to report on pay gaps
“Too often, pay disparities go unspoken — even when they’re against the law, like paying a woman less than a man for the same work. Legislating pay transparency would finally make these gaps visible, and help put an end to them,” adds Valay-Nadeau.
The Coalition is now calling on the provincial government to show leadership and follow the path of other Canadian jurisdictions by adopting strong pay transparency legislation.
Pay transparency is an essential tool, not only for women, but for racialized and Indigenous people, persons with disabilities, 2ELGBTQIA+ individuals, and all those too often left in the dark. It’s a necessary step toward greater justice, equity, and solidarity.
End the Secrecy. Transparency!