Minimum wage change an insult to frontline heroes

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 4, 2021

Minimum wage change an insult to frontline heroes

Today’s embarrassing announcement from the provincial government of a change in the minimum wage from $11.45 an hour to $11.81 an hour- an increase of just 36 cents- is an insult to the frontline heroes who have remained on the job throughout the pandemic while earning the lowest wages in the entire country.

“It’s incredibly insulting that, after what working people in Saskatchewan have been through over the past year, the provincial government would announce a raise for minimum wage workers that amounts to a small handful of change,” said Saskatchewan Federation of Labour (SFL) President Lori Johb. “These frontline heroes have been working hard over the past year in grocery stores, gas stations and many other workplaces, putting their own health and safety at risk to ensure Saskatchewan people have access to vital goods and services.”

Johb noted that a significant raise to the minimum wage is needed now, especially as the province looks forward to recovering from the pandemic.

“Now is the time for us to be investing in our communities and stimulating the economy” Johb said. “Anything less than $15 an hour is unacceptable. Saskatchewan workers deserve so much better.”

Saskatchewan minimum wage facts:

• Saskatchewan has the lowest minimum wage in Canada
• 60% of Saskatchewan minimum wage workers are over the age of 19
• Large corporations are the biggest employers of minimum wage workers, and many have made billions in profits during the pandemic. They can afford to pay workers a minimum wage of at least $15 an hour
• Studies of jurisdictions with $15 an hour minimum wages have consistently shown an increase in jobs, including in the service and hospitality sectors, and an overall increase in economic growth.