Ontario Canada Raises Minimum Wage to $11 an Hour, the Highest in the Country (441 hits)
On Thursday, Premier Kathleen Wynne announced that as of June 1, the lowest paid workers in that province will get paid $11/hour, a 75-cent increase from the current rate.
"Increasing the minimum wage will help improve the standard of living for hardworking people across the province, while ensuring that businesses have the predictability necessary to plan for the future," the premier said in a press release.
The increase, according to the governing Liberals, is equivalent to the Ontario’s Consumer Price Index (CPI) since the last increase on March 31, 2010.
It follows 6 months of consultation with business, non-profit, and anti-poverty organizations.
Current minimum wages in Canada: Alberta: $9.95 British Columbia: $10.25 Manitoba: $10.45 New Brunswick: $10.00 Newfoundland and Labrador: $10.00 NWT: $10.00 Nova Scotia: $10.30 Nunavut: $11.00 Ontario: $10.25 PEI: $10.00 Quebec: $10.15 Saskatchewan: $10.00 Yukon: $10.54
Despite the extensive consultation, the decision seems to be an unpopular one.
Anti-poverty activists argue that a 75-cent raise is not nearly enough.
"An $11 minimum wage still keeps a full-time full-year minimum wage earner below the poverty line in Ontario," said Trish Hennessy of the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives.
"Can this government really expect Ontarians to believe that this is part of its poverty reduction strategy?
"One panel. Six months of community consultations. Result: the promise of a 75-cent raise for the lowest-paid workers in Ontario. The business lobby remains alive and well in Ontario today."
