Ontario’s minimum wage will increase from $11.25 to $11.40 per hour on Oct. 1 but a local social researcher believes that figure still falls far short of a living wage.
The increase will make Ontario minimum wage earners the best-off in Canada but Lakehead Social Planning Council social planner Bonnie Krysowaty’s research shows paying for essentials in Thunder Bay requires an income of between $15 and $16 per hour, a full-time annual salary of over $30,000.
“A minimum wage increase of 15 cents is good but it’s just not enough considering the increase in housing costs, the increase in food prices and things like that too,” Krysowaty said.
On Monday morning, members of the working poor lined up at the LSPC’s intake window three metres from Krysowaty’s desk to use the income tax filing service. Although no statistics exist to quantify how many locals are living on minimum wage, she estimates the 5,500 people who filed with LSPC in 2014 represent a third of that population.
The Lakehead Social Planning Council is preparing to launch a living wage campaign aimed at employers this year. Krysowaty also encouraged those interested in advancing the idea of Thunder Bay serving as a pilot to test a Guaranteed Minimum Income to sign the online petition.
https://www.change.org/p/kathleen-wynne-select-thunder-bay-for-guaranteed-minimum-income-pilot-project
“I think it’s a great idea,” she said of the prospect Thunder Bay could serve as a test case for the policy.
“Of course a guaranteed in come would certainly reduce poverty and create less stress in peoples’ lives. Of course the income would benefit the population, the city, the district because all of that money gets put back into our community so I see it as a win-win situation.”
The Thunder Bay Chamber of Commerce was part of discussions the provincial government held in 2013 when it decided to tie minimum wage increases to rises in the Consumer Price Index.
Chamber president Charla Robinson said the Oct. 1 launch date for the 15-cent increase allows businesses the time they'll need to reconfigure prices and labour projections.
“In the last couple of years it has gone up every year so it is adding to the cost of business but again, the cost of living has been going up as well so I think it’s reasonable,” Robinson said.
“Certainly businesses in these difficult economic times will be challenged -- some of them -- to add this to their employment costs but recognizing it’s in the best interests of their employees, so that’s a positive thing.”
