On January 5, New Brunswick’s provincial government announced plans to increase their minimum wage from the current $8.25 per hour to $10 over the next two years. The move has gotten surprisingly little coverage in the mainstream media out West so far, but I urge you to check out this excellent article on the Times [...]
Entries Tagged as 'minimum wage'
New Brunswick Plans for a $10 Minimum Wage
January 6th, 2010 · Iglika Ivanova · 9 Comments · Economy, Employment & labour, Poverty, inequality & welfare
Tags: minimum wage·poverty·recession
Healthy eating put out of reach for the poor
December 16th, 2009 · Seth Klein · 5 Comments · Children & youth, Health care, Poverty, inequality & welfare
Remember the Premier’s “Great Golden Goal” (G3?) about healthy eating? True, we don’t hear so much about it these days. But it was a laudable goal. Eating a healthy diet is important if we are to improve the overall health of the population, and thereby help to slow rising health care costs. And it’s particularly [...]
On minimum wages and talk radio
November 6th, 2009 · Iglika Ivanova · 4 Comments · Media, Poverty, inequality & welfare
Today marks the third time in the past four months that I get booted off a pre-arranged radio interview on minimum wages in BC. What is it about this topic that the universe doesn’t want me to say on live radio? I mean, I try not to be superstitious, but the string of coincidences is [...]
BC’s minimum wage the lowest in Canada
August 31st, 2009 · Iglika Ivanova · 6 Comments · Employment & labour
Tomorrow, September 1, officially marks the day that BC will become the province with the lowest minimum wage in the entire country ($8 per hour). This is because New Brunswick is proceeding with their plans to increase their minimum wage to $8.25. Meanwhile, BC’s government has repeatedly refused to increase the minimum wage here, claiming [...]
Tags: minimum wage
The devil take the hindmost
April 15th, 2009 · Keith Reynolds · Comments Off · BC Election 2009, Economy, Poverty, inequality & welfare
In an earlier post I talked about the fact that when New Brunswick raised its minimum wage this spring, BC would be tied in last place for the lowest minimum wage in Canada. NB raised its minimum wage today and now BC, with the highest cost of living in Canada, is tied with two provinces [...]
Tags: minimum wage
BC’s minimum wage soon tied for Canada’s lowest
March 15th, 2009 · Keith Reynolds · 1 Comment · BC Election 2009, Economy, Poverty, inequality & welfare
On April 15th British Columbia officially wins the race to the bottom. That is the day New Brunswick raises its minimum wage to $8.00 an hour. When that happens New Brunswick, PEI and British Columbia will be tied with the lowest minimum wage in Canada. This three-way tie won’t last for long though. On September [...]
Tags: minimum wage·poverty
Why do BC kids need Finance Minister’s charitable donation to buy them shoes?
February 17th, 2009 · Adrienne Montani · Comments Off · BC Election 2009, Children & youth, Employment & labour, Poverty, inequality & welfare, Provincial budget & finance
Minister Hansen donated money for shoes for poor children. Then he delivered a budget that doesn’t help parents who receive income assistance or who are working for the $8.00 per hour minimum wage to buy shoes for their own children. An act of charity that will help several children today compared to a missed opportunity [...]
Tags: budget·child poverty·childcare·inequality·living wage·minimum wage·welfare
Charity doesn't buy a lot of shoes
February 17th, 2009 · Keith Reynolds · Comments Off · BC Election 2009, Children & youth, Poverty, inequality & welfare, Provincial budget & finance
OK, this is just a little crass, but the calculation begs to be done. It apppears rather than buying himself a new pair of shoes for the Budget Speech, the Finance Minister has donated $4,000 to the Salvation Army to buy 100 pairs of running shoes for poor children. A generous gesture. But if he [...]
Tags: budget·child poverty·minimum wage
