Minimum wage hike not enough, says B.C. Federation of Labour

by Stephen Thomson on May 1, 2012 at 10:45 am
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B.C. Federation of Labour president Jim Sinclair.

As the provincial minimum wage rises to $10.25 today (May 1), the B.C. Federation of Labour is calling on the province to make further increases.

The B.C. government has increased the hourly wage from $8 in three stages over the past year, following through on a promise from Premier Christy Clark.

“Today’s increase to $10.25 is good news, and long overdue,” B.C. Federation of Labour president Jim Sinclair said in a news release. “Unfortunately, even at $10.25, workers in B.C. don’t reach the poverty line.”

The federation has proposed boosting the wage to $11.25 by November and making future annual increases based on the recommendations of an independent panel.

“We are looking for a commitment by government to increase the wage again six months from now,” Sinclair said.

The federation also took issue with the fact that piece rates for hand harvesters have not changed and the minimum wage for liquor servers has only increased to $9 per hour.

“It is absolutely unfair and arbitrary of this government to increase the minimum wage for some workers and not others,” Sinclair said.

Meanwhile, labour minister Margaret MacDiarmid applauded the latest increase.

"British Columbians who made $8.00 per hour last year, could now have more than an additional $4,000 in their pockets this year,” MacDiarmid said in a news release.

“That's good news for individuals and families—and that's good news for the economy."

Comments (11) Add New Comment
Cat
May 1, 2012 at 12:05 pm
If people making more is good for the ecomony, then was is it that people earning union wages - making an actual living wage, are having their jobs cut systematically by this Liberal Gov. When it works for the Liberals they will applaud it when it does not, they will put it down. Personally I would rather families make a living wage then this pitiful slave wage of 10.25. But then again, that will not keep the little guy down will it Christy?
Although you are off the old saying "families first" and on to the free enterprise coaltion - lies right?
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Mark Fornataro
May 1, 2012 at 1:26 pm
Once a reasonable increase to the minimum wage is reached(we aren't there yet) there should be at least an automatic annual topping up to match the rate of inflation.
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Pat87
May 1, 2012 at 2:45 pm
I fully support increasing the minimum wage to match a level whereby people can actually live, and the more people making a reasonable amount of money the better, but I think we have to be careful how much and how often the bottom line is increased. There is, of course, always a downside to any action and while it'd be great for more people to make more money, that inevitably leads to more costs on the business side of things which leads to charging more for products and services which leads us back to the same place we were before the wage hike in terms of affordability. There is a balance and while it might be good politics to promise more money, the reality is much more complicated.
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RealityCheck
May 1, 2012 at 3:36 pm
What a farcical statement by Jim Sinclair. Just a year ago, he and the NDP were calling for a $10 an hour minimum wage...the government delivered more than they asked for!

One more reason why the NDP is incapable of governing or budgeting. Greece will look good once the Jim Sinclairs of the world are done pillaging the province.
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anonymousmay1
May 1, 2012 at 3:39 pm
It will be interesting to see if the NDP government a year from now grant Mr. Sinclair his wish!
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John232942983742934
May 1, 2012 at 5:32 pm
I worked a crappy retail job in 1999-2001 as I was in school and it is sickening that the wage was the same then as it was until today. 8 f**king dollars an hour!!!! Unbelievable. Young people used to be able to move out, rent a place, maybe with a friend or even a studio as was my case, and learn to live like an adult. Now, it's almost impossible without mommy and daddy helping you. Think of all the creative young people who are stuck in the burbs, unable to get out and LIVE downtown as so many before them have done. The internet is not a replacement. The minimum wage in the Lower Mainland should be at least $15+ an hour. If companies cannot afford to pay a living wage, they cannot afford to be in business.
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R U Kiddingme
May 1, 2012 at 7:45 pm
@Pat87

This is true but only insofar as executive compensation is seen as something that is meant to be 100x that of the entry level worker wage. I am against any sort of lawfully mandated cap of top salary but it sure would set a good example if the CEOs would voluntarily cap their own salaries at something like 20x that of their lowest paid worker. The rising tide would float all boats if we could agree to do that.
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Plum Duff
May 1, 2012 at 9:45 pm
A voluntary cap will never happen. Greed knows no boundaries. It has been proven time and time again, the only meaningful checks on greed and excess are laws and regulations. That's why they were invented.

Caps the bastards by law, and enforce it with long teeth. Only then will true equality begin to shine through.

I won't hold my breath however...
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@John Numbers
May 2, 2012 at 2:07 am
"If companies cannot afford to pay a living wage, they cannot afford to be in business."

So let me get this straight: no jobs, no services, no economic activity is preferable, in your mind, to people VOLUNTARILY working for a low wage?

Pull your head out of it: government can't decree prosperity. If the cost of living hadn't gone up so much, minimum wage wouldn't be an issue. Why not spend your energy focusing on the real problem: a monetary system engineered to steal the pennies out of the little guy's pocket.
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to little, to late
May 2, 2012 at 12:24 pm
It about sums up the BC Liberals strategies to ensure families come first while moms work away at a slave wage because business has stacked all it coins in location, location which means nothing if staff is hard up.
It ends up in resentment and how could it not and resentment gets passed on to customers and the negative energy will turn people away so the employeer does pay when he short changes his employees.. Maybe BC can't afford to have its lowly real estate in the millions when the province can't seem fit to pay people a living wage.
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Taxpayers R Us
May 3, 2012 at 12:57 am
@to little to late

*sigh* Too, too, Liberals', while, its, one location, struggling.

Nevermind all that. You can't blame your tits for a bad lot in this world. Men, women and their children all struggle under this failure of government policy and it's not based on gender.
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