Minimum Wage: Business Lobby versus Ontario

 

ACORN leader Eddy Lantz made a great presentation to the minimum wage panel about the need for a $14/h now minimum wage indexed to inflation.

 

The government needs to decide if they are going to support big business or the people of Ontario. 

 

Right now the minimum wage is 19% below the poverty line and has been frozen for 3 years. The Canadian Food and Restaurant Association (CFRA) and the Retail Council of Canada are lobbying to keep wages the minimum wage frozen.  The board of directors includes executives from Tim Horton’s, McDonalds, Pizza Pizza, Toys R US and more. Tim Horton’s made $100.3 million in profits last year, and McDonalds in Canada made $5.5 billion in profits.

 

ACORN Canada supports the following:

 

The minimum wage should bring workers and their families out of poverty

 

The minimum wage should be set 10% above the poverty line, using the Low Income Measure.  We believe if you work you shouldn’t be poor. And the minimum wage should be updated every year with the cost of living Ontario should join the three other provinces and territories that have already adopted this policy.

 

Low wage workers spend their money!

 

Raising the minimum wage will stimulate the economy.   Email your thoughts to the panel at minimumwage@ontario.ca