Hamilton poverty activists encouraged the province’s all-party committee studying the Liberal’s labour reforms that they don’t go far enough to help the 1.7 million working poor in the province.
But Progressive Conservatives and business representatives countered bumping the minimum wage up to $15 an hour Jan. 1, 2019, providing two paid sick days, and making it easier to unionize is going “too fast, too soon” and will result in job losses and businesses closing starting next year.
Deirdre Pike, co-chair of Hamilton Organizing for Poverty Elimination (HOPE), said businesses should have been ready with business plans for a minimum wage hike after years of discussions about it. There has been a campaign to raise the minimum wage since at least 2006, she said.
“Anybody who thinks this is a new call to action just hasn’t been engaged in community living in Ontario for the last decade,” she told members of the Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs at the Hamilton Sheraton Hotel July 20.
The minimum wage is currently at $11.40 an hour, and will increase to $11.60 on Oct. 1 this year. Under the labour law reforms, it will jump to $14 an hour Jan. 1, 2018 and $15 an hour Jan. 1, 2019.
Tom Cooper, director of Hamilton Roundtable for Poverty Reduction, said there are just over 29,300 people in Hamilton who go to work every day and don’t make enough for them and their families to live on.
There are about 1.7 million people working but earning less than the minimum wage in Ontario, said Cooper, yet they are unable to afford the basic necessities of life.
About half the workers in Ontario earning less than $15 per hour are between the ages of 25 and 64, with most of them women.
There are 30 Hamilton businesses, including Cake and Loaf, and over 200 other provincial companies that pay their workers a living wage of over $15 an hour, he said. It means, Cooper told the panel, increased production, better staff morale, limited employee turnover.
“Living wage employers are seeing a significant improvement in their business bottom line,” said Cooper.
Cooper applauded the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce for becoming a living wage employer, which is a signal to the rest of the community the organization cares for its employees. It was a decidedly different message than what the Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce told the committee the day before when its executive director said the minimum wage increase would have a negative impact on local businesses, including job losses.
Poverty groups argued that economic studies done on communities that have boosted their minimum wages to $15 an hour, such as in Seattle, have seen an economic benefit to their communities.
“(Seattle and other U.S. jurisdictions) are making it work, I think we can too,” said Cooper.
Joseph Kazubek, who has two children, goes to school, but also operates his own catering business to support his family, said a higher minimum wage is needed to match the rising costs of living.
“It will encourage people to spend more at local restaurants,” he said.
But the Progressive Conservative MPPs on the committee pushed back, arguing a higher minimum wage will mean job losses and cost cutting by small businesses.
Haldimand-Norfolk Tory MPP Toby Barrett said business representatives have told him they will cut back their employee hours if the wage is increased. In some extreme situations, he said there will be layoffs by this December if the legislation is passed and the minimum wage increases to $14 an hour Jan. 1, 2018.
Cooper, one of 19 organizations who spoke to the committee, said he “sympathized” with small businesses that have had to adapt to a changing economic landscape. But he has “faith” in the business community to adapt to any work-related change.
“They will do the right thing,” he said.
Ryan Eickmeirer, vice-president government relations and public policy for the Canadian Franchise Association, which represents about 600 members, said a survey conducted on their franchisees revealed if the minimum wage is passed, about 15 per cent of them will close their businesses, while 20 per cent will pass on any increase to customers, or lay off employees.
“The consensus from our members is too much, too soon,” he said.
Eickmeirer said the proposals to make it easier for workers to unionize remains a “significant concern” for franchisees. He said it will “serve the interest of large unions.”
Pike said workers in a union shop are better off with higher incomes, a pension plan, benefits and time off.
She said the proposed one-step card certification proposed in the bill, called the Fair Workplaces, Better Jobs Act, will only benefit certain groups of precarious workers.
Union officials are also pushing for anti-scab legislation to be included in Bill 148, along with extending successorship rights to all contracted services; and establish a designated paid leave for survivors of domestic and/or sexual violence.
Other proposals contained in the proposed labour reform include: a minimum of three weeks of vacation required after five years of work; two paid days of personal emergency leave; requiring employers to post schedules for their employees in a timely manner; and equal pay for employees doing equal work, including temporary workers.
Welland NDP MPP Cindy Forster said one of the drawbacks of the bill is that employees have to wait five years to get three weeks of vacation. Usually, she said, workers don’t get to be at a business for that long to take advantage of the time off.
The committee has already listened to business representatives, poverty activists, farmers and union officials, as they held hearings in Thunder Bay, North Bay, Ottawa, London, Kitchener, Niagara Falls and Toronto. The committee will write a public report of its findings that will be provided to Labour Minister Kevin Flynn, who could add amendments to the bill.
The bill has passed first reading, and second reading is expected to come before the legislature this fall.
Hamilton poverty activists encouraged the province’s all-party committee studying the Liberal’s labour reforms that they don’t go far enough to help the 1.7 million working poor in the province.
But Progressive Conservatives and business representatives countered bumping the minimum wage up to $15 an hour Jan. 1, 2019, providing two paid sick days, and making it easier to unionize is going “too fast, too soon” and will result in job losses and businesses closing starting next year.
Deirdre Pike, co-chair of Hamilton Organizing for Poverty Elimination (HOPE), said businesses should have been ready with business plans for a minimum wage hike after years of discussions about it. There has been a campaign to raise the minimum wage since at least 2006, she said.
“Anybody who thinks this is a new call to action just hasn’t been engaged in community living in Ontario for the last decade,” she told members of the Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs at the Hamilton Sheraton Hotel July 20.
The minimum wage is currently at $11.40 an hour, and will increase to $11.60 on Oct. 1 this year. Under the labour law reforms, it will jump to $14 an hour Jan. 1, 2018 and $15 an hour Jan. 1, 2019.
Tom Cooper, director of Hamilton Roundtable for Poverty Reduction, said there are just over 29,300 people in Hamilton who go to work every day and don’t make enough for them and their families to live on.
There are about 1.7 million people working but earning less than the minimum wage in Ontario, said Cooper, yet they are unable to afford the basic necessities of life.
About half the workers in Ontario earning less than $15 per hour are between the ages of 25 and 64, with most of them women.
There are 30 Hamilton businesses, including Cake and Loaf, and over 200 other provincial companies that pay their workers a living wage of over $15 an hour, he said. It means, Cooper told the panel, increased production, better staff morale, limited employee turnover.
“Living wage employers are seeing a significant improvement in their business bottom line,” said Cooper.
Cooper applauded the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce for becoming a living wage employer, which is a signal to the rest of the community the organization cares for its employees. It was a decidedly different message than what the Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce told the committee the day before when its executive director said the minimum wage increase would have a negative impact on local businesses, including job losses.
Poverty groups argued that economic studies done on communities that have boosted their minimum wages to $15 an hour, such as in Seattle, have seen an economic benefit to their communities.
“(Seattle and other U.S. jurisdictions) are making it work, I think we can too,” said Cooper.
Joseph Kazubek, who has two children, goes to school, but also operates his own catering business to support his family, said a higher minimum wage is needed to match the rising costs of living.
“It will encourage people to spend more at local restaurants,” he said.
But the Progressive Conservative MPPs on the committee pushed back, arguing a higher minimum wage will mean job losses and cost cutting by small businesses.
Haldimand-Norfolk Tory MPP Toby Barrett said business representatives have told him they will cut back their employee hours if the wage is increased. In some extreme situations, he said there will be layoffs by this December if the legislation is passed and the minimum wage increases to $14 an hour Jan. 1, 2018.
Cooper, one of 19 organizations who spoke to the committee, said he “sympathized” with small businesses that have had to adapt to a changing economic landscape. But he has “faith” in the business community to adapt to any work-related change.
“They will do the right thing,” he said.
Ryan Eickmeirer, vice-president government relations and public policy for the Canadian Franchise Association, which represents about 600 members, said a survey conducted on their franchisees revealed if the minimum wage is passed, about 15 per cent of them will close their businesses, while 20 per cent will pass on any increase to customers, or lay off employees.
“The consensus from our members is too much, too soon,” he said.
Eickmeirer said the proposals to make it easier for workers to unionize remains a “significant concern” for franchisees. He said it will “serve the interest of large unions.”
Pike said workers in a union shop are better off with higher incomes, a pension plan, benefits and time off.
She said the proposed one-step card certification proposed in the bill, called the Fair Workplaces, Better Jobs Act, will only benefit certain groups of precarious workers.
Union officials are also pushing for anti-scab legislation to be included in Bill 148, along with extending successorship rights to all contracted services; and establish a designated paid leave for survivors of domestic and/or sexual violence.
Other proposals contained in the proposed labour reform include: a minimum of three weeks of vacation required after five years of work; two paid days of personal emergency leave; requiring employers to post schedules for their employees in a timely manner; and equal pay for employees doing equal work, including temporary workers.
Welland NDP MPP Cindy Forster said one of the drawbacks of the bill is that employees have to wait five years to get three weeks of vacation. Usually, she said, workers don’t get to be at a business for that long to take advantage of the time off.
The committee has already listened to business representatives, poverty activists, farmers and union officials, as they held hearings in Thunder Bay, North Bay, Ottawa, London, Kitchener, Niagara Falls and Toronto. The committee will write a public report of its findings that will be provided to Labour Minister Kevin Flynn, who could add amendments to the bill.
The bill has passed first reading, and second reading is expected to come before the legislature this fall.
Hamilton poverty activists encouraged the province’s all-party committee studying the Liberal’s labour reforms that they don’t go far enough to help the 1.7 million working poor in the province.
But Progressive Conservatives and business representatives countered bumping the minimum wage up to $15 an hour Jan. 1, 2019, providing two paid sick days, and making it easier to unionize is going “too fast, too soon” and will result in job losses and businesses closing starting next year.
Deirdre Pike, co-chair of Hamilton Organizing for Poverty Elimination (HOPE), said businesses should have been ready with business plans for a minimum wage hike after years of discussions about it. There has been a campaign to raise the minimum wage since at least 2006, she said.
“Anybody who thinks this is a new call to action just hasn’t been engaged in community living in Ontario for the last decade,” she told members of the Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs at the Hamilton Sheraton Hotel July 20.
The minimum wage is currently at $11.40 an hour, and will increase to $11.60 on Oct. 1 this year. Under the labour law reforms, it will jump to $14 an hour Jan. 1, 2018 and $15 an hour Jan. 1, 2019.
Tom Cooper, director of Hamilton Roundtable for Poverty Reduction, said there are just over 29,300 people in Hamilton who go to work every day and don’t make enough for them and their families to live on.
There are about 1.7 million people working but earning less than the minimum wage in Ontario, said Cooper, yet they are unable to afford the basic necessities of life.
About half the workers in Ontario earning less than $15 per hour are between the ages of 25 and 64, with most of them women.
There are 30 Hamilton businesses, including Cake and Loaf, and over 200 other provincial companies that pay their workers a living wage of over $15 an hour, he said. It means, Cooper told the panel, increased production, better staff morale, limited employee turnover.
“Living wage employers are seeing a significant improvement in their business bottom line,” said Cooper.
Cooper applauded the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce for becoming a living wage employer, which is a signal to the rest of the community the organization cares for its employees. It was a decidedly different message than what the Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce told the committee the day before when its executive director said the minimum wage increase would have a negative impact on local businesses, including job losses.
Poverty groups argued that economic studies done on communities that have boosted their minimum wages to $15 an hour, such as in Seattle, have seen an economic benefit to their communities.
“(Seattle and other U.S. jurisdictions) are making it work, I think we can too,” said Cooper.
Joseph Kazubek, who has two children, goes to school, but also operates his own catering business to support his family, said a higher minimum wage is needed to match the rising costs of living.
“It will encourage people to spend more at local restaurants,” he said.
But the Progressive Conservative MPPs on the committee pushed back, arguing a higher minimum wage will mean job losses and cost cutting by small businesses.
Haldimand-Norfolk Tory MPP Toby Barrett said business representatives have told him they will cut back their employee hours if the wage is increased. In some extreme situations, he said there will be layoffs by this December if the legislation is passed and the minimum wage increases to $14 an hour Jan. 1, 2018.
Cooper, one of 19 organizations who spoke to the committee, said he “sympathized” with small businesses that have had to adapt to a changing economic landscape. But he has “faith” in the business community to adapt to any work-related change.
“They will do the right thing,” he said.
Ryan Eickmeirer, vice-president government relations and public policy for the Canadian Franchise Association, which represents about 600 members, said a survey conducted on their franchisees revealed if the minimum wage is passed, about 15 per cent of them will close their businesses, while 20 per cent will pass on any increase to customers, or lay off employees.
“The consensus from our members is too much, too soon,” he said.
Eickmeirer said the proposals to make it easier for workers to unionize remains a “significant concern” for franchisees. He said it will “serve the interest of large unions.”
Pike said workers in a union shop are better off with higher incomes, a pension plan, benefits and time off.
She said the proposed one-step card certification proposed in the bill, called the Fair Workplaces, Better Jobs Act, will only benefit certain groups of precarious workers.
Union officials are also pushing for anti-scab legislation to be included in Bill 148, along with extending successorship rights to all contracted services; and establish a designated paid leave for survivors of domestic and/or sexual violence.
Other proposals contained in the proposed labour reform include: a minimum of three weeks of vacation required after five years of work; two paid days of personal emergency leave; requiring employers to post schedules for their employees in a timely manner; and equal pay for employees doing equal work, including temporary workers.
Welland NDP MPP Cindy Forster said one of the drawbacks of the bill is that employees have to wait five years to get three weeks of vacation. Usually, she said, workers don’t get to be at a business for that long to take advantage of the time off.
The committee has already listened to business representatives, poverty activists, farmers and union officials, as they held hearings in Thunder Bay, North Bay, Ottawa, London, Kitchener, Niagara Falls and Toronto. The committee will write a public report of its findings that will be provided to Labour Minister Kevin Flynn, who could add amendments to the bill.
The bill has passed first reading, and second reading is expected to come before the legislature this fall.