Coalition for Pay Equity lands $240K grant

New Brunswick women who work in child care, home support, nursing homes and special care homes are indirectly getting about $240,000 from the federal government over a period of three years.

It's in the form of a grant to the New Brunswick Coalition for Pay Equity.

Moncton-Riverview-Dieppe MP Robert Goguen made the announcement on Wednesday morning.

The coalition is going to try to do something about the barriers that make it harder for women to be financially well off, said executive director Johanne Perron.

She says it will work with colleges, employers, professional groups and the provincial government to update training, funding programs and other policies.

InNew Brunswick, the average hourly rate for women in 2010 was $17.83, while the average for men was $20.22, according toStatistics Canada. In other words, women's hourly wage was 88 per cent of that of men.

The coalition is lobbying forlegislationto achieve pay equity for all workers in both the public and private sectors.