It's officially been 5 years since Alberta has had a minimum wage increase
It’s officially been five years since Alberta’s minimum wage increased and with no further increases currently in sight, the Alberta Federation of Labour is pressing for change.
“Since the last increase in the minimum wage, the cost of living in Alberta has gone up by 18%, which is the largest jump in inflation in more than 40 years,” says Alberta Federation of Labour President Gil McGowan.
It’s no secret to Albertans that the cost of living has been rapidly increasing. Many reports released recently demonstrate how minimum wage isn’t nearly enough to afford rent in Calgary with some showing it needs to be as high as $25 to afford living in the city.
“Yet, despite rapidly rising costs for everything, the Alberta government hasn’t increased the minimum wage – and they apparently have no plans to do so in the future. It’s hard not to see this as anything other than a deliberate wage suppression strategy at the worst possible time for Albertans,” says McGowan.
The Alberta government says it doesn’t need to increase the minimum wage because they’ve introduced “affordability measures,” but McGowan says it isn’t enough.
“The best way that the government can help citizens deal with the rising cost of living is to help ensure that workers get wages that keep up with inflation. Anything else is just window dressing.”
He is also turning to the public and the media to hold the government accountable for these hard questions.
“If they’re not going to increase the minimum wage now, during a period of extremely high inflation, then when will they? Ever? Do they even believe in having a minimum wage? As Albertans struggle to pay their bills with paychecks that are worth less and less, they deserve answers to these questions.”
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