Vancouver – With the 20 cent increase to the minimum wage taking effect today, the BC Federation of Labour is reminding the BC Liberal government that they are leaving hundreds of thousands of working people in poverty.
“A person working full time in BC earning the minimum wage is living $6000 below the poverty line. This pathetic 20 cent increase will do nothing to help these hard working British Columbians get by,” said Irene Lanzinger, President of the BC Federation of Labour.
“The BC Liberal government is completely out of touch with the reality facing working people in this province. Their approach is not good for people or the economy.”
Lanzinger noted that by the end of 2015, BC will have the second lowest minimum wage in country.
The BC Federation has been calling on the government to increase the minimum wage to $15/hr. Other jurisdictions, including the City of Seattle and the Province of Alberta, among others, have already put plans in place to reach a $15/hr wage.
“Seattle will reach $15/hr by 2017, Albert by 2018. Under Christy Clark’s plan, BC’s minimum wage will reach $15/hr by 2034,” said Lanzinger. “That is simply unacceptable.”
“We are falling way behind, and people are paying the price of this government’s short-sighted policy,” said Lanzinger. “This is no longer about BC being a leader on this issue; this is about us playing catch up.”