City of Vancouver no longer requires living wage for its workers
The calculation of the living wage is based on expenses covering essential needs such as housing, among others.
Vancouver backs away from commitment to pay living wage to those who work for the City, following vote at City Council meeting closed to the public.
From now on, she will pay her wages based on a five-year moving average of the benchmark hourly wage calculated by Living Wage for Families BC.
Since May 2017 , the City of Vancouver required all of its employees and those of its contractors to be paid a living wage, which is the wage that two adults must earn to meet the basic needs of a family of four. people.
Last year, living wage in Metro Vancouver increased by $4 an hour. The nonprofit that campaigns for living wages has established that two parents in the area must each earn at least $24.08 per hour in full-time work to manage to pay for their basic needs and those of two children.
In an emailed statement, a City spokesperson explains that the living wage has jumped 17.35% for 2023, changes that are difficult to manage in a large organization like Vancouver.
The calculation of the living wage is based on expenses covering basic needs such as food, housing, childcare costs and transportation, after taxes, as well as credits, deductions and government grants.
City Councilor Christine Boyle, who says she voted against the change in approach, called it unacceptable.
It's getting more and more expensive to live in this city. We should be looking for [a way to] pay workers enough to live here, not make it harder and harder for them to make ends meet, she said.
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Living Wage for Families BC Provincial Campaign Director Anastasia French said the decision was incredibly disappointing, and said she was heartbroken to learn that the vote was held behind closed doors.
< p class="e-p">It's crucial that anyone working for the City of Vancouver can afford to live in Vancouver, she says.
She adds that the decision to pay workers on a five-year living wage average goes against the spirit of this measure.
< p>“[Vancouverians] are struggling to pay for essentials right now, not the cost of rent or food averaged over five years.
— Anastasia French, Provincial Campaign Director of Living Wage for Families BC
According to her, the cities of Victoria, Port Coquitlam and Quesnel have all agreed to continue to pay a living wage to their employees, despite the sharp rise in hourly rates.
Based on information from Bethany Lindsay and Rhianna Schmunk
