Economic boom confined to corporations and CEOs
Vancouver (30 Aug. 2007) - The B.C. Federation of Labour (BCFL) is calling for an immediate $10 minimum wage, arguing that the province's economic boom is confined to corporations and CEOs and is passing working families by.
"A $10 minimum wage would help nearly 250,000 working people who are at or below the poverty line," says BCFL president Jim Sinclair.
"Despite positive economic news, most British Columbians are not seeing their incomes improve and some regions are actually experiencing declining employment. B.C. has a very high level of people living in poverty. To them, this is not the ‘best place on earth' as provincial propaganda suggests," Sinclair adds.
Coinciding with Labour Day 2007, the federation has issued a review of the provincial economy, recommending the increase. The Liberal government of Premier Gordon Campbell has kept the official minimum wage in B.C. frozen at $8 since 2001. Worse, the province maintains a two-tier minimum rate that actually starts at $6 an hour for the first 500 hours of work.
The federation says a $10 minimum wage would raise 246,000 British Columbians up to the poverty line and provide particular benefits for women and younger workers, who make up a large share of B.C.'s low-paid workforce.
The BCFL review also found that:
- Corporate profits are taking a larger and larger share of the gross provincial product while labour's share declines;
- Middle and low-income workers are working longer and longer hours to maintain current income levels;
- Some regions, particularly the northwest and the Kootenays, have experienced total employment declines; and,
- Union membership remains a critical antidote to poverty with the average unionized worker earning $5.12 an hour more than the average non-union worker.
Sinclair adds:
"A minimum wage is an important starting point but working families need action on five fronts: quality child care for their kids, good employment standards, safe workplaces, decent pensions and balanced labour laws. If we had action on those priorities, the benefits of economic growth would be fairly shared."
NUPGE
The National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) is one of Canada's largest labour organizations with over 340,000 members. Our mission is to improve the lives of working families and to build a stronger Canada by ensuring that our common wealth is used for the common good. NUPGE
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