January 1, 2018 10:00 A.M. Ministry of Labour
Starting today, people across Ontario will see their wages rise $14 an hour as the new general minimum wage takes effect. This change will help workers and their families who are struggling to get ahead in a changing economy.
As part of Ontario’s Fair Workplaces, Better Jobs Act, 2017, the minimum wage will increase again to $15 an hour on January 1, 2019, to be followed by annual increases at the rate of inflation.
Cant wait to lose all my hours and make even less than I did before!!!
You should read this:
The evidence is clear: increasing the minimum wage doesn’t cost jobs
And this:
Seattle proves a $13 minimum wage doesn’t necessarily kill jobs
And this:
Minimum wage hike does not kill jobs: report
And this:
And this:
Conservatives Say Raising the Minimum Wage Kills Jobs. New Research Says They’re Wrong.
And:
More than 50 Canadian economists sign open letter backing $15 minimum wage
It may not kill jobs, but it’s raising prices in just about every business I’m aware of. Corporations - including big ones like Little Caesars or Pizza Hut - don’t want to lose a single cent to their workers, and the consumer suffers for it.
Also wrong:
Walmart Prices Would Rise By Pennies If It Paid Workers More Than Poverty Wages
A $15 minimum wage for fast food workers would raise the price of a Big Mac by 17 cents
Debunking: “If You Raise The Minimum Wage, It Will Cause Inflation”
Early analysis of Seattle’s $15 wage law: Effect on prices minimal one year after implementation
New UW Study: Raising the Minimum Wage Doesn’t Raise the Price of Groceries
Also, all of the price increases are largely just CEOs that aren’t willing to give up their Christmas bonuses even though its thousands of dollars. That’s it. If they cut it down just a bit and spread the goddammit wealth like decent people, we wouldn’t be in this situation where people are worried about this. I’ve already noticed the price increase when it was announced. My over all groceries have increased by a solid $20. And I absolutely blame corporate greed for it, not minimum wage jobs wanting a decent pay.
THIS.
Take Loblaws for example:
Galen Weston Knows Paying a Living Wage is Bad for Capitalism
Galen Weston Jr., the mild-mannered, bespectacled grocery-store magnate you may recognize from President’s Choice commercials, is a thoroughly Canadian one-percenter. He is thoroughly Canadian in the sense that he isn’t flashy or grandiose like Richard Branson, and he doesn’t tout the benefits of vampirism or plot to destroy the free press, à la real-life super villain Peter Thiel. He is thoroughly of the one percent in the sense that his family is worth somewhere in the ballpark of $9 billion, he himself earned at least $5 million last year, and, despite that generous—one might even say obscene—level of wealth, he remains staunchly opposed to paying his employees enough money to live on.
[…]
“We are flagging a significant set of financial headwinds,” Weston said in reference to the long-overdue wage increases set to come into effect over the next few years. He predicted the company’s labour costs will jump by about $190 million next year. Rather than address the fact that such a huge jump means his company is paying many of its employees below $15 right now—which equals to, in most Canadian cities, poverty-level wages. He’s chosen to portray his nearly $14 billion company as the victim of unfavourable legislation.
It’s true that a modest hike to the minimum wage is unfavourable to a profit-seeking entity, but it beggars belief that Weston or his company are the ones holding the short end of any stick. After all, the company reported a second-quarter profit $200 million higher this year than last, up to $358 million from $158 million.
LICO: Low Income Cut Off = Enough To Live On
LICO varies, but here in Waterloo Region where I live, LICO is around $18 per hour, which means that while $14 is a start, it is still too far too little.
I imagine this is one of Ms Wynne’s “re-elect me” carrots.
We all know if we replace her Liberals with Mr Brown’s Conservatives, there will be no $15 next year.
Do you know that in nearly 15 years of McGuinty-Wynne Liberal government, Ontarians are still worse off than we were before Mr Harris began chopping away at our social safety net? Since the 2008 recession, while big business and banks have resumed profitability, Ontario’s increase in jobs has been largely driven by an explosion precarious work.
In this year’s Ontario Election it is time to stop voting for the usual suspects.
Which is not to say I want an NDP majority government… far from it! Ontario needs minority government and Electoral Reform to #Proportional Representation if we’re going to turn this around. Which means anyone who wants to elect an NDP MPP needs to vote NDP; anyone who wants to elect a Green MPP needs to vote Green.
Since our winner-take-all system is stacked against us, we can increase our chances by:
- volunteering in the party you like, or
- volunteering for the Candidate you want, or
- if there isn’t a candidate you like in your riding, maybe running yourself!
- If you can’t manage to get directly involved, donating to the party/candidate you want
- Vote for the candidate or party that will best represent you.
- Possibly the single most important thing we can do to amplify our votes for real alternatives is to encourage everyone you know who doesn’t vote to get out and vote!
Make Sure you are Registered to vote at Elections Ontario.
If you aren’t sure which riding you’re in, you can find your riding on this map.
[Note: in Ontario at this point our federal and provincial ridings are aligned.]