Eighty-seven per cent of British Columbians want minimum wage increased to $10 immediately
By Nelson Daily Staff
A poll conducted by Angus Reid Strategies for the BC Federation of Labour has found an overwhelming majority of British Columbians support an immediate increase to raise BC’s minimum wage to $10 an hour.
Eighty-seven per cent of respondents support the immediate $2 increase, with 63 per cent of respondents saying they “strongly support” an immediate increase to $10 an hour.
“This is the highest level of public support we have seen for an immediate increase to bring our minimum wage up to $10 an hour,” said Federation president Jim Sinclair.
“The vast majority of British Columbians want it increased immediately by $2, unlike Labour Minister Iain Black who calls the increase “dangerous” and Liberal leadership hopefuls who prefer a slow incremental increase that ensures our minimum wage remains the lowest in the country.”
The B.C. Federation of Labour has been calling for an immediate increase of BC’s minimum wage to $10 followed by regular increases to ensure no full-time worker earns less than the low-income cut-off as established by Statistics Canada.
The Federation is also calling for the elimination of the $6 an hour “training wage” introduced by the Liberals.
“It is increasingly clear that only a small group of low-wage employers and Liberal ideologues support continuing the nine year minimum wage freeze,” Sinclair added.
“They need to listen to municipal leaders, anti-poverty activists, economists and the vast majority of British Columbians who want this shameful nine-year minimum wage freeze lifted, and who want a $10 minimum wage now.
“The only people missing from this conversation for the last decade were the BC Liberals. We do not need more studies or consultations with business lobbyists and low-wage employers. We need to raise the minimum wage to $10 an hour immediately,” says Sinclair.
The Angus Reid Strategies poll was conducted Nov. 15-19, and surveyed 804 British Columbians. The margin of error is +-3.5 per cent.
