MPP Jim McDonell and Conservatives Vote Against $15 Minimum Wage
[Queen’s Park] This afternoon Stormont-Dundas-South Glengarry MPP Jim McDonell along with Patrick Brown’s PC caucus voted against historic changes to raise Ontario’s general minimum wage.
In public comments over the last few months PC leader Patrick Brown said that increasing the minimum wage is “too much, too soon” and won’t commit to not rolling back the $15 minimum wage increase in future years.
PC MPPs voted against measures that include:
- Raising Ontario’s minimum wage to $14/hour in 2018 and to $15/hour in 2019, with further increases based on inflation;
- Mandating equal pay for part-time, temporary, casual and seasonal employees doing the same job as full-time employees;
- Expanding personal emergency leave to 10 days per year, including two paid;
- Ensuring at least three weeks of vacation after five years of service;
- Fairer employee scheduling, including requiring employees to be paid for three hours if a shift is cancelled within 48 hours of its start time.
Minimum wage is too little for priority purchases of a home, university education, or retirement plan. How tempting then, the cheap gratification of cable packages, cell phones, even Tims. Will an extra dollar change that?
Perhaps if instead, employers were to pay that dollar/hour into a government eyeglass and dental plan for minimum wage earners and their families — just like our MPP’s have.
Yes minimum wage is way too small BUT wait and see what is starting to happen. Loblaws is going to get rid of many employees and are going into the delivery service and others are thinking of doing the same thing. All jobs will be gone soon. We will all have to be waxed statues in a museum the way things are going. Canada is finished as we speak.
Loblaws and others have always had delivery. It just wasn’t advertised or pushed. It will be now, as it will be internalized and they’ve figured out how to maximize and profit from it.
Mixing socialism and capitalism is a recipe for disaster in my opinion. The economy dictates wage levels not an arbitrary government decision. This latest Liberal brain fart is akin to the tail wagging the dog. Job losses and unrealized additional discretionary income is the likely outcome.
Yes David. It’s always best to keep the workforce hungry and living on the edge of poverty. It inspires them to work harder.
People who are earning minimum wage sure do work hard and companies are not paying the salaries that they should get. My daughter has college and is working with people who have no education. Some have education but the jobs are not out there so they take what they can. You don’t know until you are without a job and are pounding the pavement looking for work no matter how qualified you are.
You cannot work harder Mr. Oldham when there is no work. You would be shocked nowadays right here in FAT CAT CITY and no work and you have to take what job is out there even if you hate the hell out of it which my daughter does. Yippee my daughter just finished her shift and will be dragging herself home like a drownded rat all tired out. I should be at the door so she can fall in. LOL LOL.
Fritz consider this: minimum wage regardless of the amount is always the base income and by design intended to cover the basic needs. It is taxation and inflation that can outpace income and drive minimum wage earners into poverty status. Inflation over the last decade has not really been a factor. Comment?
And again, the inflation caused by raising MW totally screws over those on fixed incomes.
There are no benefits for people earning minimum wage at all. It was bad enough to see a lady crying to Trudeau and she was earning $20./hour in Peterborough Ontario and lived on Kraft Dinner and hot dogs to have a house and her living nightmare was her electric bill at $1000. every month. The government is at fault for everything and hubby and I spoke about all of this and more this evening.
Admin I think what will be really telling about this uneducated decision in my opinion is the number of jobs lost before the final increase to $15 hr. Not to mention loss of base taxation to the underground economy.
Yeap, ” government is at fault for everything.” People have no choice. Sorry NO!! People have a lot of choices. Some choose to sit and do nothing about their situation. I have no sympathy for people who choose to do nothing and become part of a continuing welfare family. You can sit and nothing or try and better your life. Time to realize you do have choices.
Jules I would submit that in a democracy it is not the government that is at fault but rather the people that elected the government. Each election in a democracy offers an opportunity to rectify the errors of the previous administration. The dilemma of the public is the recovery time. I.e. Ontario.
We collectively get the government we deserve.
How so Admin? Many opposed the insanity of the Green Energy Act, the installation of fruitless windmills and solar arrays, gas plant closures, the mismanagement of the health care system and so on. Yet the majority voted for bigger government and higher taxes etc.
Yes, “Many opposed the insanity of the Green Energy Act…” But a major was done to the provincial Conservative push when Tim Hudak rolled out his platforms, among them his 1 million job plan without consulting his party or fellow candidates. The Cons lost the election on Hudak’s inability to win. The Libs rolled to victory after that major screw up.
Mr. Oldham the young people today have no future at all under liberals which they voted. These young people don’t know how to use their brains since it is all fried by those electronic gadgets. Everybody is going to feel the hardship coming and I don’t say that without knowing. Many people will search for the food banks but Old Mother Hubbards Cupboard will be bare.
A $15 minimum wage would force food banks to close or at least lay off some of their workers.
Thank you for brightening my Monday morning 🙂
Tim Hudak was no good at all as a leader and he was a cousin to that idiot liberal leader Dalton McGuinty so electing Hu dat was like electing Dalton. There are too many of the very weak minded people with no vision who go in as leaders and the only way that they lead us is into bankruptcy. We need good leadership, good intelligence and good vision and the majority don’t have either.
Many businesses cannot afford to pay more than the minimum wage even though their staff works mighty hard and takes so much abuse from the public. My daughter wishes that she had her old job back even at minimum wage since she didn’t deal with the crazy public. She worked all the way out in Kanata but was well compared to where she is now. Only difference no bus and a very short distance to wal
Jamie I didn’t start Monday off on the right foot at all. My arthritis is killing me night and day. I went to the hall closet this morning to get my jacket and what I did was put on my daughters winter jacket and I wondered why it was so thick and heavy. LOL LOL. I had everyone roaring with laughter here. I am totally screwed up today.
Businesses will have two choices in regard to the new minimum wages. One, they can raise prices or two they can reduce staffing levels. Some will do both. But small businesses will be very vulnerable and some will ultimately fail. Sad, but true.
Jamie a few hours ago I was over at Dollarama picking up a binder, paper and a few other things. The cashier (a man) was talking to a customer and about him having to have two jobs (someone that he knows) and yes this is how people are living today. Minimum wage, no benefits or anything and only part time. $15./hour will not help at all but worsen the matter.
Where my daughter works she sees prices go up all the time. This is runaway inflation and our dollar buy much less. Minimum wage is going to lead to the termination of many jobs and many employers have humoungous taxes, etc. to pay and cannot keep up. Lassie forget buying a home – you cant even rent an apartment here in Ottawa it is mighty expensive.
I agree with Jules to a certain point on this subject. But the inflation rate has been worse, much worse. I think what is changing is the way everything is done. With technology and other changes come job losses and desire to keep ahead of competition. That is what is making things iffy on job fronts and in life in general.
There are many changes coming in the not too distant future that many of us will not recognize at all. I fear the future when I don’t like the present one at all. My favorite were the 1950s era and I remember Cornwalls good days just like Dawn does and she is a very valuable and interesting lady who brings up the past and I miss it terribly. The good days are gone.