The following letter was sent to all UWSA members on Friday, August 19, 2016.
In recent weeks you may have heard through the media that the female faculty at Waterloo have received a raise to align their salaries with the findings of the Faculty Salary Anomaly Working Group. In response there has been an increased interest in a similar pay equity review for staff to better understand whether any inequality due to gender or any other factors exist. The University of Waterloo Staff Association (UWSA) would like to ensure that all staff are familiar with the steps being taken at the current time.
The UWSA is currently working with the university administration to undertake a Staff Compensation Review as approved by the Board of Governors on Tuesday, April 7th, 2015. This review is designed to verify that similar roles are equitable in both pay and benefits, and aligned well both across the university and with similar roles in industry. It will consider the salary bands associated with each role and the additional benefits we receive as staff. It will not however go deeper into consideration of the individuals holding each role, their gender, or any other personal characteristics.
We are also currently working with the Administration to develop an improved Memorandum of Agreement that defines their relationship with staff. This process will include elements of equity, so please stay tuned for further information as details become available.
The UWSA will also be asking President Feridun Hamdullahpur to provide a full salary anomaly review for the staff as was done for the faculty. We will expect this to include both a statistical review to uncover anomalies as well as the deeper dive to look into their causes. This review will be planned to follow both the Staff Compensation Review and Memorandum of Agreement revision as the next step in ensuring equity across campus.
Sincerely,
Michael H. Herz, P.Eng, President
University of Waterloo Staff Association
Davis Centre room 3606
519-888-4567 ext 33227
uwsa.uwaterloo.ca