QUEEN’S PARK –– The Ontario NDP is calling on the Ford government to immediately outline a path to raising Ontario's minimum wage to $20 an hour, saying working people deserve wages that keep pace with the real cost of housing, groceries, transportation and everyday essentials.
Today, Ontario's minimum wage increased by just 35 cents, from $17.60 to $17.95. The increase affects approximately 700,000 people.
“In Ontario, a full-time job should be a pathway to stability, not poverty,” said MPP Jessica Bell (University—Rosedale), Shadow Minister for Finance. “The people stocking our shelves, caring for seniors, serving customers, cleaning workplaces, and delivering goods should be paid a living wage for their hard work.
“With a minimum wage this low, the Conservatives are ensuring hundreds of thousands of hardworking people will continue to rely on food banks. 35 cents extra an hour doesn’t get you very far when the costs of groceries and rent are through the roof.
“Why does this Conservative government get to live like rockstars on the taxpayer dime; with luxury private jets, five-star hotel stays, and lobster dinners, while hard-working people aren’t even paid a living wage? Ontarians deserve a Premier who puts money back in their pocket instead of using it to fund his lavish lifestyle.”