According to The Financial Post, about 60
percent of Sudbury's population earns less than $10 an hour in
service or retail jobs. These statistics should be a wakeup
call to politicians who are supposedly concerned about so many
young people leaving our city to work. Their jobs are often
part-time and do not have health benefits. Many have to work at
more than one job to make ends meet. A worker making minimum
wage who is fortunate to work 40 hours per week is still
earning at the poverty level.
I am fortunate to receive an excellent
pension as a result of being represented by a union. Recently
as I shopped for building materials at retail stores, I was
dismayed to see so many retirees with good pensions working at
these low wage jobs. They may be hurting the cause of workers
who are not as fortunate. Apparently, they are unconcerned that
when they take these jobs, their employers do not need to
attract young full-time employees through offers of higher
wages and benefit plans.
Jim Young
, Sudbury