Minimum wage hot air
Re: The inconvenient truths of a minimum wage increase, Tristin Hopper, Jan. 10
Sadly, media attention has failed to focus on how an increased minimum wage will improve the lives of Canadians struggling to make ends meet on poverty wages. Instead, such articles use half- baked analysis and disproven theories to gloss over the core issue: a fair day’s work deserves a fair day’s wage, and a higher minimum wage improves the lives of minimum- wage workers.
Time and time again, in study after study of realworld data, minimum wage increases don’t lead to job losses. Businesses go on doing business, while workers go home with a few more dollars in their pockets. In Alberta alone, that’s 290,000 workers with raises who’ll s pend t heir new- f ound wealth in the local economy.
Workers deserve a fair minimum wage, and the public deserves more than hot air on minimum wage increases. Gil McGowan, President, Alberta Federation of Labour What did Kathleen Wynne t hink when she pushed through a massive minimum wage increase, when she was repeatedly warned by industry that this would cause the loss of 60,000 jobs.
She has no right to complain about Tim Hortons move to compensate for the increased cost to their business by offsetting perks that they extended to their employees. What they did is legal and morally right, because they have to be able to make a profit in order to pay their occupancy costs, suppliers, employees and stay in business.
The dry cleaning and laundry industry is in a similar bind. I have surveyed the industry, and as a result of the new minimum wage, the average increase in charges for the services performed by our industry will rise approximately 10%. The survey also showed that as a result of the increase, that the real cost of this legislation will result in a 41% increase in the cost of labour. The government has failed to show that with all the other benefits they gave, that this resulted in an additional 10% increase in labour costs.
Previously, I have stated that not only are you raising the minimum wage too fast, but that this has resulted in experienced and knowledgeable employees demanding higher pay as well, since they feel that a person with no experience will receive the amount mandated by the government.
Please understand that we do not begrudge increasing the minimum wage, but it was done in such as drastic manner, that it is causing great harm to the economy. We would rather see some public assistance from the government to those who were at the minimum wage, rather than force the cost of this program on the backs of small businesses. Sidney Chelsky, Executive Director, Ontario Fabricare Association, As the owner of a successful restaurant in Aurora Ont., you can imagine the compounded fears I and so many others are facing with this minimum wage hike.
Small restaurants are closing or stubborn owners like myself keep hanging on to a career that we love, despite bouncing the rent, having to reconnect the hydro and not taking home a paycheque in over eight months.
This is a wonderful industry that is the driving force for any metropolis or small community.
As I mentioned before, I have a very successful restaurant. We are extremely busy and yet, I’m broke. I’m intelligent, hard working, talented, savvy and a Titan. I am this and more. Still, I and others like me find ourselves face down in the mud with the Ontario government’s boot on our neck.
The time is now for you and other publications to bring to light the one situation that could save our industry. The LCBO.
As l i censed establishments we are unable to purchase liquor or wine at a wholesale price. This is a $60 billion dollar money maker for the Ontario government and the unfairness of the situation for licensees has been protected because of the uneducated consumer. They assume that we pur- chase beer and liquor at low wholesale prices and benefit from a large markup. I have been shouting from my soapbox for 12 years, and each time I do, my listeners are astonished to know that not only do I not get a discount, but that our “markup” amounts to paying more than the in store consumer.
Minimum wage is a provincial blow that is now a done deal. How do we bring this other provincial issue to light and spin it to entice the government to save the industry that they just decimated? Karen Halliday, Aurora, Ont.