Organizers of a campaign to immediately raise the minimum wage to $10 an hour aren't too happy about the province's plans to hike it gradually over three years.
The media reported yesterday the province will raise the minimum wage to $10.25 an hour by 2010. The announcement is expected to be made in today's provincial budget speech.
New Democrat MPP Cheri DiNovo has been pushing for immediately raising the minimum wage to $10 an hour with a private member's bill. She has been supported by labour organizations.
“Press reports on Ontario’s minimum wage today show how out of touch the McGuinty government is with the challenges faced by workers earning less than $10 an hour,” said OFL president Wayne Samuelson, in a press release.
“Attempts to delay the implementation of moving to a $10 an hour minimum wage are unacceptable and hurtful to the hundreds of thousands of families who are trying to survive on the minimum wage.
“McGuinty’s comments directed toward the Federal government and their delay in transfer payments on a per capita basis to Ontario – saying that justice delayed is justice denied would apply to any delays by the McGuinty government to increase the minimum wage to $10 an hour now.”