Four former University of Toronto professors lost a certification for a class-action suit against the university for back pay and pension adjustments.

The lawsuit filed by Ursula Franklin, Phyllis Grosskurth, Blanche van Ginkel and Cicely Watson contended that women who retired before 1989, and were not part of a salary review settlement by the university in 1991, were consistently paid on average 20 per cent less than men.

The women claim the inequities in pay resulted in "unjust enrichment" for the university and that their pension benefits were adversely affected by the discriminatory pay.

The class-action involving more than 100 female faculty members and librarians was dismissed in the Ontario Superior Court in November.

The women, many who collect yearly benefits as low as $20,000, will decide whether or not to sue individually.