Anna Voskuil | News Editor
Featured Image: The motion to increase minimum wage has seen polarizing views in York and Ontario alike. | Fatema Ali
As of September 26, Ontario Labour Minister Laurie Scott announced that Premier Doug Ford’s government will not be moving forward with the minimum wage increase to $15, which would have begun this coming January.
Since its increase from $11.60 to $14 at the start of this year, Ford’s government hopes to see that minimum wage remain at $14 an hour.
Across the province, there is much division when discussing this potential minimum wage increase.
As a result of the previous change from $11.60 to $14, issues associated with the hike came from the complaints of a number of business owners, who have since cut staff hours and benefits, as well as raised company prices.
However, many community and labour groups are urging Ford to reconsider scrapping the $15 hike.
Particularly at York, there is a cause for concern.
‘Fight for $15 & Fairness York U’ is a York branch of a province-wide campaign, whose aim is to advocate for fair wages and working conditions for employees across Ontario.
As well, ‘$15 & Fairness’ seeks improvement in: paid sick days, decent work hours, the right to unionize, the prevention of discrimination and harassment in the workplace, and protection from unjust dismissal following a strike.
During a September 28 press conference at the Queen’s Park Media Studio, Fight for $15 members, the Ontario Federation of Labour, as well as many other leaders of the movement, discussed the impact of a $14 wage freeze on workers.
They claim that Bill 148, Fair Wages, Better Jobs Act, brought in the $15 minimum wage and many improvements for workers after an extensive two-and-a-half-year province-wide consultation.”
However, not all York students are agreeing with this $15 hike.
A student who wishes to remain anonymous, says: “Stopping the minimum wage increase is a good thing. Many of my friends lost jobs due to the minimum wage hike. The higher the wages, the less students that are hired. It’s very simple—there is a fine line for wages. If you go over it, people lose jobs.
“Students would have more money to pay for school if minimum wage was around $11 per hour. They would get many more hours. Now we get less hours at slightly more pay, so overall, it’s a loss.”
Further, some York professors have addressed some of the primary concerns associated with this increase in wages.
For example, in regards to how small businesses will be impacted by a wage increase, York Associate Professor of geography Steven Tufts said to Stephen Quinn, host of CBC’s The Early Edition: “When we take wages and increase them and put more money in the pockets of workers, they buy the products from those small businesses and that’s good for the economy.”
This Friday, Fight for $15 and Fairness York U is inviting students to join them in their meeting with MPP Christine Elliott, and Aurora and Newmarket Chamber of Commerce members at the Royal Venetian in Aurora, from 11:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.
