Despite the provincial government indexing increases in the general minimum hourly wage and liquor server wage to B.C.’s Consumer Price Index (CPI) last week, protests with the Fight for $15 campaign continued last weekend.
Events were held in Vancouver, New Westmin-ster, Penticton and Nanaimo with a major rally in downtown Victoria on Monday, March 16.
On the Sunshine Coast, an event was held outside of the Gibsons and Area Community Centre on Sunday where about a dozen people showed up to rally and hand out information to the public.
On social media in the week or so leading up to the event, local organizers promised those who stopped by a chance to meet with Premier Christy Clark, but it was a mock appearance with supporter Liam Fletcher dressed up as the premier and supporter Larry Hyink dressed up as the premier’s handler.
The BC Federation of Labour launched the Fight for $15 campaign in January to increase the minimum wage in B.C. to $15 an hour.
Last week Minister for Jobs, Tourism and Skills Training and Minister Responsible for Labour Shirley Bond announced the wage increases, saying government is committed to reasonable and predictable yearly minimum wage increases linked to B.C.’s CPI. Going forward, from 2016 onward, the minimum wage will be determined using a formula calculated upon the percentage the CPI increased in the previous calendar year. In years where there is a negative CPI change, the minimum wage would stay the same.
In addition, this indexing formula is being applied to the period since the last minimum wage increase in 2012. Effective Sept. 15, 2015, the general minimum hourly wage will increase from $10.25 to $10.45 and the liquor server wage from $9.00 to $9.20 per hour.
“Raising the minimum wage allows B.C. to keep pace with minimum wages in the rest of Canada while maintaining our competitiveness,” Bond said.
The BC Federation of Labour said the increase will do nothing to lift minimum wage workers out of poverty.
“B.C. has the second highest rate of poverty in Canada,” said BC Fed president Irene Lanzinger. “Lifting the minimum wage to $10.45 is nowhere close to the increase that is needed — and indexing a poverty wage only entrenches people in poverty. Under the government plan, the minimum wage will not reach $15 per hour until 2034. That is unacceptable.”
Those who rallied on Sunday in Gibsons agreed.
“I’ve had to work for minimum wage jobs before, and it’s not enough to live on,” said protester Caren Cameron. “Twenty cents barely covers the increases in Hydro, MSP premiums and all the other inflation. If minimum wage had kept up with inflation since the ‘60s, it would be $19 an hour.”
— With files from Jacob Roberts
