Labour tribunal orders $1.87/hour pay hike for vision specialists back to 2010
Quebec's Administrative Labour Tribunal ruled orientation and mobility specialists must receive retroactive salary adjustments dating to Dec. 31, 2010, affecting mostly women in the profession.
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Orientation and mobility specialists who work with people living with visual impairments will receive retroactive pay dating back over 15 years, following a landmark decision by Quebec's Administrative Labour Tribunal.
The tribunal recently ordered the Treasury Board to pay these workers—mostly women—salary adjustments retroactive to December 31, 2010, with interest included. The dispute centred on job classification in light of pay equity legislation.
The tribunal ruled that the physical demands and responsibilities involved in this work justified a higher salary classification. The Canadian Union of Public Employees, affiliated with the FTQ, which represents some of these specialists, states the salary adjustment amounts to $1.87 per hour. Depending on factors such as seniority and pay grade, the cumulative retroactive payment could reach several thousand dollars per person since 2010.
This decision addresses a long-standing classification dispute and represents a significant win for workers in a predominantly female profession.