Delegation demands 10$/hour from BC MLAs ~By Elise Ikoma

November 1, 2007, MLAs met with delegation of ten BC group representatives and Low-Wage Earners who presented over 40,000 signatures for the Federation $10 NOW petition. After the meeting at 10:30 am, the petition was tabled during the afternoon session of Parliament. This marked the anniversary of the last B.C.’s minimum increase in 2001. One representative, Rev. Margaret Marquardt urged, “people in our province are earning a wage below the poverty line and they cannot make ends meat.”

Another representative present was Shamus Reid of Chair of the BC Canadian Federation of Students. He said, “low-wages affects the ability to go back to school” and that “the min wage hasn’t kept pace with inflation.” When describing who is affected by minimum wage, Mr. Reid points to “a vast cross section” including people with disabilities, new immigrants, women, and “students and young people.”

Rev. Marquardt attended “on behalf of the justice and peace unit of the Anglican Diocese of New Westminster” who have been “supportive of the initiative for … ten dollars this year and 11 dollars next year, and of course, indexed.” In terms of the delegation and the petition being tabled, she comments, “we had some good hearings, we made some major presentations, we’re going to keep going and we’re not to give up.”

According to Mr.Reid, the current “government has taken an ideological stand” against the increase, even after the “54% increase in their own wages.” Apparently, the “opposition supported the increase” and “40% BC people say minimum wage will be a vote determining factor”. Will this topic reappear closer to election-time? Shamus agrees there would be “more pressure, but there are a couple year left before then.” Just as Marquardt noted, this meeting was “certainly a beginning.” According to the BCFS chair, this meeting was “only the beginning of more petitions and more talk in communities across BC.” But how long will it take?

Rev. Marquardt contends that people earn higher wages in certain areas but a “quarter of a million people making minimum wage.” Relocation, she suggests, is not always possible. She feels some “don’t have the resources… they don’t have childcare … transportation needed, or they are taking care of a relative.” Additionally, “Many children are being effected.”
The petition is on Public Service Alliance of Canada BC website (www.psacbc.com/tag/bc-fed). There, it is says a 10$/h minimum wage would benefit 250,000 workers. The BC Federation of Labour’s petition states “We urge Premier Gordon Campbell to eliminate the training wage and immediately increase BC's minimum wage to at least $10 per hour and index future increases to growth in inflation.” It adds “Yes, Premier, after six years it's time to give BC's lowest paid workers a raise”.

Sources: Rev. Margaret Marquardt, Shamus Reid, www.psacbc.com/tag/bc-fed,