This fall, the British Columbia Ministry of Labour launched the Fair Wages Commission, which was tasked with putting forward a plan to raise the minimum wage to $15-an-hour and make recommendations to government on implementation strategies. The Commission was directed to work with all outside stakeholders, including small businesses, to put forward a plan that bridges the gap between minimum wage and the living wage in BC.
The CFA participated in this consultation via an in-person presentation in November as well as a
written submission
.
T
o help guide our consultation response, CFA used information provided to us by members through our 2017 Advocacy Survey.
CFA urged the BC government to develop a fair, predictable, and staggered implementation time frame
, reaching a $15 minimum wage no sooner than 2021 (the date previously communicated by the Government); as we have seen in other provinces, a significant and rapid increase can have a dramatic impact on our members and their businesses.
Furthermore, the CFA recommended the government provide a robust suite of offsets to help franchisors and franchisees cope with a minimum wage increase to $15-an-hour.
The CFA believes a mix of offsets announced alongside the final minimum wage schedule would help alleviate some concerns and financial pressures a minimum wage increase to $15-an-hour would have on small businesses.
Following the first stage of the Commission's consultations, findings will be reported to the Minister of Labour with recommendations regarding the timing of minimum wage increases by the end of 2017. A second round of consultations will take place in the spring of 2018. CFA will keep members abreast of our involvement in the Commission moving forward.
If you have any questions regarding the Fair Wages Commission, or any other advocacy related issues, please contact Ryan Eickmeier, Vice President, Government Relations & Public Policy at [email protected] or by phone at 416-695-2896 ext. 297.
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