Wage Gap? What's Missing From This Report?
University-educated Aboriginal women reach pay parity
I'm not dead set against affirmative action, but the fact that Aboriginal women receive higher pay than their non-Aboriginal counter-points should not be a surprise. By stating that they will be given preference, many Aboriginal people learned very quickly that they could demand a higher wage and get it. Given that circumstance, I might be inclined to do that, too. So why should this be surprising?
Aboriginal women have been the bedrock of Indian communities for years, assuming far more responsibility than many of the men for the daily task of wresting a living in a hostile world. The rate at which the women have gone back to school, even after giving birth to several children, attests to their determination and drive, not to mention a deep sense of responsibility for their children. I would imagine that their treatment at the hands of many of their men, not to mention discriminatory aspects of the Indian Act, provides them with a good part of their motivation.
What the article fails to mention is any details about that differential, so let me speculate. Could it be due to absenteeism? Dismissal for a variety of reasons, including absenteeism? Voluntary resignations, whether formally submitted or not? Employment that is seasonal in nature?
Schools have been dealing with that sort of attendance pattern for well over a century. In fact, it was the primary reason for the establishment of residential schools. Back in my days as a teacher, I worked for a few months on David Ahenakew's home reserve. I was told that sometime prior to my employment there, the school board, all local band members, the movers and shakers of the community, had once decided to gather statistics about student absenteeism, with the intent of developing a plan of action for families whose children had missed more than 20 days of school. When these community leaders discovered many of their own children had missed that many days, they soon dropped the matter. City schools routinely see their Aboriginal students disappear come spring, even though there were still two months left in the school year. It's a well documented phenomenon, which sociologists call "churn".
"Annual income" means nothing without looking at the finer details. What we need is actual hourly wage rates. Most employers who hire persons with trade certificates and the like are required by union agreements to pay whatever rate is in their contracts. Advancing from one pay-grade to the next requires that a set number of hours be logged by each employee and that performance meets expectations. They would not get away with paying one group a different rate than another for the same work if both groups have the same credentials and the same work habits. Something is rotten here. We need a Thomas Sowell to shed some light on this.
Listen to him here.
Video here, here and here.
"The study says an analysis of 2006 census information uncovers the "truly remarkable fact" that income inequity between aboriginals and non-aboriginals is entirely eliminated for women with university degrees.For many years now, in Saskatchewan at least, most government positions and others in major corporations have advertized positions with a statement that Aboriginal people are encourage to apply, which is a euphemism for preferential hiring. In fact, in many cases it specifically says something along the lines of "Fluency in an Aboriginal language would be a definite advantage." In other words, there's no beating around the bush.
The report, sponsored by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, said aboriginal women with a bachelor's degree earned $2,471 more in 2006 than their non-aboriginal counterparts, a spread that grew to $4,521 for aboriginal women with a master's degree." (emphasis mine)
I'm not dead set against affirmative action, but the fact that Aboriginal women receive higher pay than their non-Aboriginal counter-points should not be a surprise. By stating that they will be given preference, many Aboriginal people learned very quickly that they could demand a higher wage and get it. Given that circumstance, I might be inclined to do that, too. So why should this be surprising?
Aboriginal women have been the bedrock of Indian communities for years, assuming far more responsibility than many of the men for the daily task of wresting a living in a hostile world. The rate at which the women have gone back to school, even after giving birth to several children, attests to their determination and drive, not to mention a deep sense of responsibility for their children. I would imagine that their treatment at the hands of many of their men, not to mention discriminatory aspects of the Indian Act, provides them with a good part of their motivation.
"The report singles out the findings on women and education as among the few bright spots in an otherwise bleak study that shows the overall income gap between aboriginals and non-aboriginals is closing at a snail's pace.[---]
In 2006, aboriginals earned only 70 cents for every dollar earned by non-aboriginals, up from 56 cents in 1996, according to the study.
The authors say at that rate, it will take decades before the income gap is erased."
"They found the median annual income of Aboriginal Peoples was $18,962 in 2006, or 30 per cent less than the $27,097 earned by nonaboriginals.[---]
They also found the "stubbornly high" median income gap persists no matter where aboriginals live. It was $7,083 in urban settings in 2006 and $4,492 in rural areas."
"For those with an apprenticeship, trades certificate or diploma, the annual income gap in favour of non-aboriginals over aboriginals is $4,692."
What the article fails to mention is any details about that differential, so let me speculate. Could it be due to absenteeism? Dismissal for a variety of reasons, including absenteeism? Voluntary resignations, whether formally submitted or not? Employment that is seasonal in nature?
Schools have been dealing with that sort of attendance pattern for well over a century. In fact, it was the primary reason for the establishment of residential schools. Back in my days as a teacher, I worked for a few months on David Ahenakew's home reserve. I was told that sometime prior to my employment there, the school board, all local band members, the movers and shakers of the community, had once decided to gather statistics about student absenteeism, with the intent of developing a plan of action for families whose children had missed more than 20 days of school. When these community leaders discovered many of their own children had missed that many days, they soon dropped the matter. City schools routinely see their Aboriginal students disappear come spring, even though there were still two months left in the school year. It's a well documented phenomenon, which sociologists call "churn".
"Annual income" means nothing without looking at the finer details. What we need is actual hourly wage rates. Most employers who hire persons with trade certificates and the like are required by union agreements to pay whatever rate is in their contracts. Advancing from one pay-grade to the next requires that a set number of hours be logged by each employee and that performance meets expectations. They would not get away with paying one group a different rate than another for the same work if both groups have the same credentials and the same work habits. Something is rotten here. We need a Thomas Sowell to shed some light on this.
Listen to him here.
Video here, here and here.
posted by Louise at 3:25 pm
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