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The City of Greater Sudbury is looking at the implications of adopting a living wage for municipal employees, with staff preparing a report for city council consideration on May 17.
“Really, this is about getting information so that we can have some concrete numbers to consider in May,” Ward 7 Coun. Mike Jakubo said during Tuesday night’s finance and administration committee meeting.
“There has been a lot of attention drawn to the living wage and I think we owe it to our whole city … to at least be able to consider this information and then perhaps, if it is the will of council at that time, to be able to make some concrete decisions.”
Jakubo, who also serves as chair of the finance and administration committee, supported the motion, which was brought forward by Ward 9 Coun. Deb McIntosh, who serves as vice-chair.
Greater Sudbury isn’t alone in mulling a living wage, McIntosh said, with the Region of Waterloo also currently considering a living wage for its employees and contractors.
Greater Sudbury city council appeared united behind the cause during Tuesday’s meeting, with every member to weigh in on the vote offering their support. When it came time for Ward 2 Coun. Michael Vagnini’s vote during Tuesday’s virtual meeting, there was silence.
In advance of Tuesday’s meeting, the Sudbury Workers Education and Advocacy Centre encouraged residents to support the motion by contacting their city council member.
“The living wage is something that we care about and something Sudbury employees need,” centre communications officer Tt Scott told Sudbury.com earlier this month.
“They’re stuck in poverty, they’re being stuck in cycles and are typically the workers who are marginalized, who are trapped in part-time or underpaid low-wage positions.”
A living wage is an amount of money estimated to bring people out of poverty and allow them to interact in society, and the Ontario Living Wage Network estimates that Greater Sudbury’s living wage is currently $16.98. The minimum wage in Ontario is currently $15.
During Tuesday’s meeting, Ward 6 Coun. René Lapierre noted that Public Health Sudbury and Districts has been advocating for a living wage for some time. On Nov. 19, 2019, the health board approved a motion that endorsed the principle of living wage employment and to “encourage all employers across our service area to recognize the serious health and societal costs of inadequate income.”
The Public Health motion of the day noted that “income is one of the strongest predicators of health and local data shows that low income is associated with an increased risk of poor physical and mental health in Sudbury and districts.”
During Tuesday’s meeting, Lapierre clarified that universal health care doesn’t cover quite everything, with some residents unable to afford certain medications that prevent them from recovering from illness as quickly as others, which in turn can result in their missing work.
“It’s a big, vicious cycle,” he said, adding that the costs down the line, via emergency rooms and subsequent physician visits, can end up being much greater than the medication they could not afford.
It’s unclear how many municipal employees will see a pay bump as a result of a living wage, with this detail to be included in whatever report city administration comes up with for the May 17 finance and administration committee meeting.
McIntosh said that there are 10 categories of jobs at the city that could be impacted, including but not limited to seasonal summer student positions. Since not all students are treated equally and can have their own financial challenges, she’s advocating for the inclusion of students.
During Tuesday’s meeting, Ward 4 Coun. Geoff McCausland drew attention to the fact that minimum wage is provincial jurisdiction and that city council can only control what municipal staff are paid.
This, he said, is an important distinction, as members of the public will likely express frustration that the municipality is pushing for higher wages for their employees and not everyone, which can lead to resentment.
“I’m hopeful that we can be a model in this as it comes forward, and also that the provincial government, which has seen some increases recently, will also be thinking of perhaps tying minimum wage to a living wage across the province in the years ahead.”
Tyler Clarke covers city hall and political affairs for Sudbury.com.
