MISSISSAUGA, Ontario, March 08, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Six months after appealing to SNC-Lavalin’s Board to address issues of gender inequity at its Candu Energy subsidiary, the Society of Professional Engineers and Associates (SPEA) has issued a renewed call to the company on International Women’s Day to do more to honour its commitments to Equity, Diversity and Inclusion.
In May 2021, SNC-Lavalin announced a suite of new Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) initiatives, identifying 12 areas where it could have the greatest impact. SNC-Lavalin’s CEO personally stepped up to champion UN Sustainable Development Goals around gender equality. This commitment was welcomed by SPEA, which represents employees at SNC-Lavalin subsidiary Candu Energy, including a new bargaining unit 2/3 of whose members are female (compared to existing bargaining units, which are roughly three-quarters male).
In August 2021, SPEA contacted SNC-Lavalin’s Board of Directors noting that its female-dominated unit at Candu Energy lacked the same entitlements as the male-dominated bargaining units, including rights to secure health benefits, dental benefits, sick leave as well as a robust harassment procedure. Six months later, these inequities persist.
“Without addressing real gender-based gaps in compensation and workplace conditions, we can’t build a more inclusive workplace,” says Denise Coombs, staff representative at SPEA. “Employees who identify as women should enjoy comparable protections and entitlements – and we should not see second-tier standards in occupations that are female-dominated.”
SNC-Lavalin releases very little information about gender-linked differences in compensation and other workplace entitlements. In the UK, where companies are required to publicly report measures related to pay equity, SNC-Lavalin’s UK-based subsidiary Atkins reports that in 2020, men received nearly 20% higher mean pay and about 40% higher mean bonus pay, when bonuses are awarded. These reports suggest comprehensive, company-wide disclosures would be meaningful.
“On International Women’s Day, we call on SNC-Lavalin to share comprehensive information relevant to gender-based workplace equity, and to promptly address workplace equity issues identified by employees and their representatives, as is the case at Candu Energy,” said Coombs.
About SPEA
The Society of Professional Engineers and Associates is an independent union representing engineers, scientists, technical and administrative staff, who work for Candu Energy Inc- Nuclear division of SNC-Lavalin (formerly Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL) Candu division) in Mississauga, Ontario and abroad (excluding AECL Chalk River Laboratories). Formed in 1974, SPEA is one of the oldest professional unions in Canada.
For further information contact:
Michelle Duncan, Staff Representative
Phone: 416-427-3525
Email: michelle.duncan@spea.ca
