Sudbury's living wage calculated at $16.18/hr

Oct. 7 is the International Trade Union Confederation’s (ITUC) World Day for Decent Work.

In Sudbury, the Social Planning Council (SPCS) and the Sudbury Workers Education & Advocacy Centre (SWEAC) are participating by launching a report, entitled The Living Wage for a Family of Four in the City of Greater Sudbury.

“We felt it was appropriate to launch the report on World Day for Decent Work, as a living wage would help bring decent work to families in many communities. This Living Wage report outlines how much a family in Sudbury would need to make, working full-time, in order to live with dignity and participate as active citizens in our community,” said Nicole Beaulieu, executive director of SWEAC.

“This is important because more and more people are facing an unstable economy with precarious jobs that offer low-wages, and this fosters social exclusion along with many other issues. This is not allowing us to live with dignity, and we need to change that. We need to keep people here, we need to grow our community wealth, we need respectable business models and we need to keep people out of poverty. A living wage and decent work could do that. We are hoping to launch the Living Wage Campaign later this year ”

The report calculates the hourly rate a family must earn to keep up with the minimum cost of living in Sudbury.

The report, developed with input from various community stakeholders and members, addresses the reality that Sudbury low-income workers are not earning enough to meet their family’s basic needs. Sudbury’s Living Wage amount is calculated at $16.18/hr.

“This figure was calculated using a standardized methodology developed for Ontario. Supporting a living wage won’t end the province’s growing dependence on precarious part-time employment,” said Joseph LeBlanc, executive director, SPC Sudbury.

“It is, however, a stark reality check, highlighting the fact that many low wage employees are not earning enough to meet their basic needs.”

If you would like to be involved in the campaign or get more information about the living wage please contact Nicole Beaulieu at 705-470-3323.