The B.C. government has announced the province鈥檚 minimum wage will go up to $15.20 an hour in 2021.
鈥溾�淧eople making minimum wage need to be able to pay rent and put food on the table. People working full time should not be fighting poverty,鈥� Labour Minister Harry Bains told a news conference Thursday at a JJ Bean coffee shop in North Vancouver.鈥� When Toronto raised its minimum wage to $14 an hour earlier this year, the company 鈥� which has a location in Toronto 鈥� did the same for its Vancouver staff.
The province鈥檚 move comes as a result of work done by the fair wages commission, set up last summer to plot out how to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour, as part of the NDP鈥檚 campaign promises.
The commission鈥檚 report, released Thursday, recommended 鈥渇rontloading鈥� the wage hikes to take advantage of B.C.鈥檚 strong economy and low unemployment rate. It means the first increase will be the highest, with smaller raises each time until $15.20 is reached.
B.C.鈥檚 minimum wage is currently $11.35 an hour 鈥� the third highest in Canada.
The next hike will come in June to at least $12.65 an hour. That makes for an increase of $1.30 this year, and $1.20, $0.75 and $0.60 in the next three years.
. says that minimum wage hike is just one of the ways NDP is "making life more affordable," foreshadows housing + childcare announcements in upcoming Throne Speech.
鈥� Kat Slepian (@katslepian)
Asked about how small businesses will cope, Horgan pointed to other savings the NDP has introduced in recent months.
鈥淲e鈥檙e moving to remove the PST on electricity for businesses鈥� for those who are paying medical services premiums for their employees 鈥� that too has been cut in half,鈥� he said.
鈥淲hat the commission heard is that they want predictability and a time frame to make decisions, shape their human resource planning [and] their operations planning.鈥�
The Canadian Federation of Independent Businesses doesn鈥檛 agree.
Richard Truscott, the vice-president of B.C. and Alberta operations, said government鈥檚 role should be to provide training and job growth opportunities for people trying to get by with low-skilled, minimum wage jobs.
鈥淪mall businesses typically operate in competitive markets on very thin margins,鈥� Truscott said. 鈥淭he $15 minimum wage may be great politics, but it is terrible economic policy.鈥�
. statement on minimum wage hike: 鈥淲e support raising the minimum wage: ultimately, all British Columbians should have livable incomes. We know that our economy will be made even stronger when people can afford to live where they work."
鈥� Kat Slepian (@katslepian)
BC Green Party leader Andrew Weaver about what he had called an 鈥渁rbitrary鈥� goal of raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2021.
Now with the commission鈥檚 report, Weaver he said the plan will help 鈥渒eep politics out of minimum wage discussions.鈥�
Recommendations for a minimum wage for workers in hospitality, agriculture, resident care and live-in support will come in March. Another report on the discrepancy between the minimum wage and a 鈥渓iveable wage鈥� is set for later this year.
A liveable wage is considered one that accounts for housing, food, clothing, transportation, recreation, savings and education. The living wage in Metro Vancouver is $20.62 per hour.
Like us on and follow us on .
