North Bay and District Labour Council President. Henri Giroux is welcoming yesterday's rise in the minimum wage.
“New Year’s will ring in new hope for the lowest earners of our community because the Ontario Government has given a much-needed raise to thousands of people in the Nipissing region,” said Giroux in a news release.
See: Minimum wage hike to $14 an hour happens next week
“The largest working demographic in the region does retail and service jobs, low, minimum wage jobs, and these workers lived through decades of wage freezes under the previous PC and Liberal governments,” stated Giroux. “Conservative politicians should have known that eventually, the wage market would need correcting.
"As a result of Labour’s efforts to push the Liberals to pass Bill 148, thousands of area residents will have renewed hope for a better future. They will make real investments in the community, shop in our local stores, and dine in our local restaurants.
"When school starts back up in the New Year, thousands of families will now be able to afford to pay for extras like school teams and year-end trips. Schools do their best with fundraisers and food/clothing programs, but it shouldn’t have to be this way. Far too many children miss out on the social richness of school life because of poverty."
