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Letter: Time to demand minimum wage boost

Kathleen Wynne has promised to reintroduce her budget quickly now that the provincial election is over. In her acceptance speech she said she would get to work creating good, well-paying jobs.
Kathleen Wynne has promised to reintroduce her budget quickly now that the provincial election is over. In her acceptance speech she said she would get to work creating good, well-paying jobs.

Yet the Liberal party has been unwilling to raise the minimum wage significantly. They refused to allow the Minimum Wage Advisory Panel to make a recommendation with regards to what the wage should be set at, probably in fear that the panel would listen to the Ontario workers across the province, who are asking for a $14 an hour wage.

By muzzling their own advisory committee, they could pat themselves on the back for a raise that leaves a single person earning minimum wage at 16 per cent below the poverty line, and a person attempting to raise a child on minimum wage even further below.

The election is over, but the time for citizens to make their voices heard is not. People across the province are still asking for a $14 minimum wage, and they are taking inspiration from the struggle within the United States to have a $15 wage set.

Seattle has voted to have a $15 minimum wage. San Francisco will vote on the issue this November. These victories have been possible because people have spoken up, have taken to the streets, and have recognized that the time to be political is not limited to election season.

Our voices matter. It is our job to keep speaking up.

Christy Knockleby
Sudbury