NDP Mark 'Minimum Wage Freeze' Anniversary

Monday, November 01, 2010 02:07 PM

Prince George, B.C. - The B.C. New Democrats are pointing out that today marks nine years since the province's lowest paid workers have received a raise.

In a joint statement issued by leader, Carole James, and labour critic, Raj Chouhan, they note that B.C. has the lowest minimum wage in the country and say, "It's unacceptable that the B.C. Liberals find nothing wrong with the fact that hundreds of thousands of British Columbians struggle to make ends meet on eight-dollars-an-hour."

The statement continues, "It's shameful that they've frozen the minimum wage during a time when they're hitting families with the highest living costs of anywhere in the country, thanks to a regressive new tax and never-ending fee hikes."

Saying B.C workers and their families deserve better, they're calling on the Liberals to raise the minimum wage to $10.00 per hour and index it to inflation.

Members of the B.C. Federation of Labour were out at yesterday's B.C. Lions game to also draw attention to the wage freeze anniversary.

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Posted on Monday, November 01, 2010 02:07 PM in News by 250 News

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Comments

Posted by: rayban68 on November 1 2010 2:34 PM

Do the rest of us get a 25% raise too?

Posted by: herbster on November 1 2010 2:55 PM

Rayban, kick your feet up on the old lazy chair and enjoy your indexed pension. Maybe spare a thought for those less fortunate than you you have to work to keep you comfortable , you old sob.

Posted by: faxman on November 1 2010 2:59 PM

I haven't had a raise in several years either. Can I please have one too? Thanks!

Posted by: Taxed Out! on November 1 2010 3:19 PM

Just because you haven't had a raise faxman, misery loves company, so if nobody else gets a raise that makes you happy?
Kinda like if you hit your finger with a hammer, it feels better if your buddy smashes his finger as well.

Whats it to you faxman, if the minimum wage goes up?

Posted by: herbster on November 1 2010 3:21 PM

faxman: no raise for nine years? Whats wrong with you?

Posted by: He spoke on November 1 2010 4:04 PM

Get an education then.

Posted by: Brownshoe on November 1 2010 4:17 PM

want more money? learn a trade

Posted by: herbster on November 1 2010 4:24 PM

Thanks to Campbell and his cronies,education is expensive. Good luck saving up for it on minimum wage.

Posted by: Harbinger on November 1 2010 5:20 PM

Learn a trade? Well, at least if you have a trade you know what kind of job yer out of.

Posted by: Andyfreeze on November 1 2010 6:54 PM

hahahaha!...good one Harbinger!

Posted by: faxman on November 1 2010 7:15 PM

"Whats it to you faxman, if the minimum wage goes up?"

Raising the minimum wage doesn't do anything to break the cycle of poverty; all that it does is raise the cost of a lot of goods. The NDP is merely engaging in politics; if they really had a plan to help break poverty they should be spelling it out.

Posted by: Taxed Out! on November 1 2010 9:42 PM

Well faxman, that is all good in theory. I travel alot in my profession and BC with the lowest minimum wage has some of the highest restaurant prices. Why then does it cost more for a hamburger in BC than it does in other provinces, faxman?

Posted by: faxman on November 2 2010 6:27 AM

"Why then does it cost more for a hamburger in BC than it does in other provinces, faxman?"

Taxes.

Posted by: Taxed Out! on November 2 2010 6:51 AM

Thats not true faxman.

Didn't you listen to your Premier the other day, he told you that BC has the best tax system for business in the country.

BC business has had taxes reduced by Mr Campbell since he was elected in 2001.

HST has unloaded $2 billion dollars annually, from BC business starting July 1st.

So with one of the lowest tax structures in the country combined with the lowest minimum wage, one would think BC would be the cheapest place to buy a hamburger. We all know that is not true.

So these lower costs do not seem to transfer to lower costs passed on to the consumer, I see no reason why people need to suffer to make ends meet because the minimum wage is held down.

I know I can't figure it out, perhaps an arm chair economist could explain it to me.

Posted by: PrinceGeorge on November 2 2010 7:41 AM

B.C. taxpayers have the lowest personal income tax rates in Canada!

Raise the minimum wage! If prices go up a bit, so what! Prices keep going up all the time for all kinds of reasons, one more reason isn't going make much of a difference!

This refusal to raise the minimum wage is not based on sound financial considerations but on some ideological ones devoid of real life justifications!

Posted by: DPJ on November 2 2010 11:41 PM

I noticed a meal at mcdonalds costs more than the minimum wage. In other countries, the cost of a meal there is less then 1 hour of work for the lowest paid workers.