UFCW Local 175 calls for stronger action needed on Pay Equity

UFCW Local 175 welcomes Ontario’s Pay Transparency law but stronger action needed on Pay Equity

Ontario’s new pay transparency legislation is a welcome improvement, but one of the province’s largest local unions, United Food & Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 175, is urging the government to strengthen the law to address persistent systemic pay inequities, particularly those affecting women.

On January 1, 2026, new pay transparency requirements for publicly advertised job postings came into effect under the Ontario Employment Standards Act as part of the provincial government’s suite of Working for Workers acts.

“The new pay transparency legislation is a welcome and long-overdue first step toward fairer workplaces,” said Kelly Tosato, President of UFCW Local 175, which represents more than 70,000 unionized workers across Ontario, over 52 per cent of whom are women.

By requiring many employers to include salary or salary ranges in job postings, the province is acknowledging that pay secrecy fuels inequality. For too long, workers, have been expected to negotiate wages without access to basic information. This law recognizes that transparency at the hiring stage helps level the playing field, gives job seekers critical information up front, and reduces the risk of discriminatory wage-setting before someone is even hired.

However, UFCW Local 175 cautions that the legislation does not go far enough to address the systemic pay inequities that continue across the labour market. The gender pay gap still persists with the average Ontario woman receiving just 68 cents for every dollar a man makes. And if this legislation is not expanded, many women may still find themselves paid less within the same roles, placed at the bottom of wide pay ranges, or forced to raise concerns individually; an unfair burden that too often falls on those already facing inequality.

“The new requirements focus narrowly on job postings and do not require employers to correct existing gender pay gaps, provide workers with access to internal pay information, protect against retaliation or ongoing pay secrecy practices, or ensure strong, proactive enforcement,” said Tosato.

Unionized workplaces already demonstrate how more complete pay transparency can work effectively.

“Pay transparency only works when paired with accountability and enforceable standards,” said Tosato. “In unionized workplaces, salary grids, classifications, and wage rates are negotiated, written into collective agreements, and accessible to all members. Transparency reduces discrimination, limits arbitrary pay decisions, and promotes fairness across genders and job classes.”

To create a truly robust and effective pay transparency framework, UFCW Local 175 calls on the province to:

• Extend pay transparency beyond hiring to include current workers.
• Require employers to justify pay differences within salary ranges.
• Protect workers’ right to discuss pay without fear of retaliation.
• Mandate gender pay gap reporting for larger employers.
• Shift enforcement from complaint-based systems to proactive audits with real consequences.

“These measures ensure that pay equity is not dependent on individual negotiation or courage, but is embedded into workplace systems,” said Tosato.

“Workers, and particularly women, deserve a system that doesn’t just reveal pay, but ensures it is fair. Pay transparency is progress. Pay equity must be the goal.”

UFCW Locals 175 & 633 represents more than 70,000 working people across Ontario throughout most sectors of the economy including retail, grocery, warehouse, food production, manufacturing, meat processing, hospitality, and healthcare sectors, and more.

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Media should contact:

Debora De Angelis, Director of Political Action & Member Engagement

UFCW Locals 175 & 633

media@ufcw175.com

416-559-9069

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Find past Media Releases from UFCW Locals 175 & 633 here.

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