The New Brunswick Coalition for Pay Equity plans to make its cause an election issue.

It wants provincial politicians to extend pay equity legislation to the private sector.

As it stands, only the public sector is covered by legislation, said Johanne Perron, executive director of the coalition.

'It is a human right internationally recognized, so it's really a matter of continuing our work and making sure that the political parties don't forget about the importance of pay equity for all.'— Johanne Perron, Coalition for Pay Equity

"New Brunswick women get 85.9 per cent per dollar earned by men right now," she said on Friday, national pay equity day.

It's time that all employers paid comparable wages to men and women who do comparable jobs, Perron said.

Secretaries, social workers, cashiers and bookkeepers are just some of the workers who face "pay discrimination" in the province, Perron said.

About 70 per cent of the people affected are women, she said.

Won't commit

Perron invited representatives from the Liberal government and other political parties to present their stand on the legislation.

"It is a human right internationally recognized, so it's really a matter of continuing our work and making sure that the political parties don't forget about the importance of pay equity for all," she said.

But so far, she's giving both the Liberals and Progressive Conservatives a failing grade because they won't commit to passing private pay equity legislation.

As for the Green Party, "I see some hope, but maybe some work to be done, so maybe a B," Perron said.

The NDP got the highest grade on the issue — A-plus.