Minimum Wage in Canada

The CBC has compiled this analysis of minimum wage in Canada. It examines the historical development of minimum wage in Canada and compares minimum wage between the provincial and territorial jurisdictions within Canada.

Does the minimum wage prevent poverty?

The article notes that....
"Just about everyone agrees that a minimum wage is not a living wage. It's virtually impossible to live independently on $16,000 a year in any major Canadian city. The Vanier Institute of the Family, in its 2005 submission to the Federal Labour Standards Review, said the minimum wage in now "not even close" to being a living wage. "No longer can a minimum wage employee hope to provide for a family," it said. "Even two minimum wages in a household will not protect its children from the short-term and long-term consequences of poverty."

What can we do? I think that is the main question that we can take out of this current debate. Let's look at my home province of Ontario. They're the only jurisdiction in Canada that has age based categories, which allow workers under 18 to be paid less than workers over 18. If I were still under 18, I would bring a challenge forward of age-based discrimination under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. I'm not sure if this has been done yet, but I'll encourage my child(ren) to bring one forward if this law isn't changed by the time I become a father. All workers deserve the same protection.

Personally, I believe that an immediate hike to $10/hr is justified. The Canadian Chamber of Commerce disagrees with me. The umbrella organization representing Canada's bourgeoisie argues that a $10/hr minimum wage will urge students to drop out of high school. Of course, no one working a minimum wage job is saving money for college, and they likely couldn't use a wage increase anyways. Hell, let's have forced child labour to teach young people the value of an education. Come on Chamber, just say you need a pool of labour that is as cheap as possible. Your smoke screen lies are sickening. And if someone would like to drop out of high school and work such a job for a certain amount of time, who are you prevent that? I say that and I work in the education field myself and benefit from an increased amount of students graduating from high school. I, however, believe in individual choice. Not to mention, many drop outs are forcd into employment for financial consideration.

I also believe that domestic, in-home, and farm labourers be covered by minimum wage laws. In fact, there isn't a worker in this country who shouldn't fall under the scope of minimum wage law protection.