The Cadre + 2February 1999

National News 7

Wage gap still significant at Canada’s universities

By QUADEHERMANN

TORONTO (CUP)-— The situ- ation for women faculty teach- ing at Canadian universities has improved in the last 40 years but there’s still a long way to go, a recent study indi- cates.

Although the wage gap between male and female fac- ulty has narrowed, the inequi- ties are still considerable, the study suggests.

“The status of women has improved, but remains in- ferior to men,” said Michael Ornstein, a professor York University’s Schulich School of Business and a co-author of the study.

The study, which analyzed Statistics Canada data gathered by universities

Suzuki joins By TRACY TATKA

TORONTO (CUP)-- David Suzuki has joined forces with the Toronto Environmental Al- liance and the Sierra Club of Canada to try to persuade in- coming provincial candidates to reduce air pollution.

In response to the 1,800 premature deaths attributed to smog in Ontario last year, the team of environmental heavy weights launched their cam- paign last week. .

The group is calling fora 75 per cent reduction of sulfur dioxide from the air, a 6,000- tonne cap on emissions from nitrogen oxides and a virtual elimination of mercury emis- sions by 2005. :

The coalition doesn't blame past governments for the current state of air quality. In- stead, it plans to target incom- ing candidates to make them responsible. re here.

“It’s hard to hit the invis- ible boxer in the ring,” said Lois

between 1957 and 1994, found the average pay of female fac- ulty went from $5,600 in 1957 to $63,200 in 1994. The aver- age pay for male faculty in- creased from $7,000 to $74,500.

That meant the wage gap between men and women teaching at Canadian universi- ties closed considerably, from 23.5 percent in 1957 to8.1 per cent in 1994,

But even with this ad- vance, the study estimates that in 1994 it would have cost $49 million to correct pay inequi- ties across the country.

Among the study’s other major findings:

-- Over the last four dec- ades, the number of full-time female faculty members across Canada increased from

less than 5,000 to more than 36,000.

-- The largest increase in women faculty was in the humanities, rising from 10.3 per cent to 28.7 per cent.

— Inengineering and the applied sciences, female fac- ulty increased from 1.1 cent to 5.4 per cent, a signifi- cant relative pro t is nevertheless pe che! by “a large degree of continuing male domination.”

-- There has been virtu- ally no progress in increasing the number of female facu in agriculture and the biologi- cal sciences.

At York University, the wage gap between male and female faculty is easy to see.

Each year, the univer-

Ontario anti-smog campaign

Corbett, executive director with the Toronto Environmental Al- liance. The group’s ultimate aim is to ensure that whoever wins the next provincial election will be held accountable to better air uality standards. ; aaa those stand- ards is essential to improving the health of Ontarions, the group

says. ;

. According to the Ontario Medical Association, smog- filled air, especially on hot and

sunny days, contributes to an po

increased risk of illness, asthma attacks and cardiorespiratory problems. a The association notes

medical problems such as these have already cost the province $11 billion in health care costs

date. 2 AndOntariospends about $1 billion a year on respiratory health care costs, including smog-inflicted asthma, the as-

iation says. : egress says pollution- related medical problems are a aoe “(It’s) a provincial trag- edy and one that those running for office must address,

Corbett said.

Suzuki, a world-leading ecologist, says Ontario can sig- nificantly improve its air-qual- ity by taking into account the coalition’s recommendations.

“This is an rtunity for Ontario to lead Canada in emissions reductions and move towards a cleaner, healthier fu- ture,” he said.

“You don’t mess with air because it’s so fundamen- tal,” warned Suzuki. “It keeps aie, . F

elying on ic sup- will try to persuade the provin- cial government to take action and help erase mistakes. We a similar de- mand, across society, to move on acid rain in the 1980s,” said Elizabeth May, director of the — Canada. hae to support any one candidate in the provincial election, which is

sen to publish each candidate’s stance on air-pollution, includ- ing what his or her plans are to ia it, leaving voter to decide who has the best pro-

posal.

sity posts the names and sala- ries of staff whoearn $100,000 ormore. Ofthe 81 names on the list in 1997, 13 were women. Five of those were ranked professor or associate professor and the rest held administrative posts. By con- trast, 44 male professors or associate professors were on the list.

But change is coming, says Henry Mandelbaum, ex- ecutive director of the Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations. Just as

Ity the pool of qualified women

increased in the ‘60s and ‘70s, the hiring binge of the same decades ceased, he says. As men who were hired during those decades retire, women will have more positions to

apply for.

“Itwill provide opportu- nity for young women to be hired,” he said.

Last week, York and the University of Toronto an- nounced they plan to hire be- tween 250 500 new fac- ulty in the next few years.

The study, released last month, is believed to be the first systematic examination of the impact of gender on the situation of female faculty in Canadian universities.

Ornstein says he and co-authors Penni Stewart, of York University, and Janice Drakich, of the University of Windsor, wanted to supple- ment the existing research on the experiences of female fac- ulty in Canada.

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