An Initial statement from B.C. labour minister Murray Coell that the province is “definitely going to look at” raising the minimum wage has raised hopes among labour leaders and fears among small business owners.
Coell made the comment to reporters at the Union of BC Municipalities’ conference in Whistler on September 29.
The next day, Coell clarified his comments and said that the government “will consider in the future” whether to raise B.C.’s $8 minimum wage.
He also noted the province has made other efforts to help low-income workers, including eliminating income taxes for 250,000 people.
BC Federation of Labour president Jim Sinclair said the provincial Liberals have long been negligent at raising the minimum wage.
“They made us last in the country in 2001 when they created the minimum starting wage of $6 per hour," he said. "Our $8 regular minimum wage was the highest in the country in 2001. Now it’s the lowest and we have the highest cost of living in the country.
“I just hope that after nine years, they don’t try to move it up to $8.50 or something like that and just insult us all. If it is $10 per hour, it’s still below the poverty line but at least it puts us up there with some of the other provinces.”
Shelfspace: The Association for Retail Entrepreneurs CEO Mark Startup said his members are opposed to raising the minimum wage because the market best determines how much someone should be paid.
He told BIV September 30, “The suggestion from [Sinclair] is that if you increase the minimum wage then everybody gets a pay raise and the economy will improve. My members would say that’s ridiculous. The cost of goods and services will go up.”