Ontario Premier, Kathleen Wynne, spoke to media earlier today and announced that the province is raising its minimum wage pay to $15 an hour. The move will take effect over the next 18 months, first with an incremental increase occurring next year that will see minimum wage rise to $14 an hour. Wynne confirmed that $15 will soon be the provincial rate starting January 2019. It’s a legislative move that comes out of The Fair Workplaces, Better Jobs Act, which provides better support for part-time workers and contractors.
This makes Ontario the second province in the country to raise its minimum wage to $15. Last year, Alberta became the first provincial government to bump up their minimum hourly rate to $15, which will finally be implemented next year. Much like Alberta Labour Minister, Christina Gray, Premier Kathleen Wynne said the move is a result of increased living expenses nationwide. Speaking with CBC News, Wynne said that affordable pay is a matter of fairness. "People are working longer, jobs are less secure, benefits are harder to come by and protections are fewer and fewer," said Wynne. "In a time of change like this, when the very nature of work is being transformed, we need to make certain that our workers are treated fairly."
The current average hourly rate in Canada is $27, while the present minimum wage in Ontario is just over $11. By 2019, the planned jump in pay will officially become the biggest in provincial history. Along with better conditions for part-time workers, there’s also good news for full-time employees. As part of the government’s Better Jobs Act, vacation time will be upped from two weeks to three. "You know, Ontario is behind other provinces in guaranteeing better vacation rights. It's time to do what's right and what's fair," Wynne stated.
For more information regarding the change, check out the official government news release here.
