McGuinty Government Moves To Ensure Most Vulnerable Share In Economic Growth
* QUEEN'S PARK, March 30 /CNW/ - Balancing the interests of
workers
and business, the McGuinty government has committed, through its 2007
budget, to raising Ontario's general minimum wage by 75 cents per hour
annually over three years, Minister of Labour Steve Peters announced
today. Beginning March 31, 2008, the current minimum wage of $8.00 per
hour would rise incrementally to $10.25 on March 31, 2010. "We are
committed to ensuring fair, balanced and progressive policies for
Ontario workers," said Peters. "We must ensure that our most
vulnerable workers are able to share in Ontario's strong economy."
The
McGuinty government introduced annual increases in 2004 that brought
the general minimum wage up to $8.00 per hour as of February 1, 2007,
after being frozen for nine years. Further phased-in annual increases
would balance the needs of Ontario's low-income workers with the needs
of our business community to remain competitive in a global economy.
Effective the following dates, the general minimum wage would increase
to: - $8.75 as of March 31, 2008 - $9.50 as of March 31, 2009
-
$10.25 as of March 31, 2010"It is in Ontario's best interest to help
low-income working people," said Peters. "Since 2003, we have
increased the minimum wage by 17 per cent. These increases would add
an additional 28 per cent. Our economic strength is built by working
families who must be allowed to share the benefits of a growing
economy."Disponible en françaiswww.labour.gov.on.caFact Sheet
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ONTARIO'S MINIMUM WAGE INCREASE- On January 1, 2004, Ontario's
general minimum wage was $6.85 per hour. It had not been increased
since January 1995.- The general minimum wage was increased in
stages
to $8.00 per hour as of February 1, 2007.- In the budget introduced
in the Legislature on March 22, 2007, the McGuinty government proposed
further annual increases of 75 cents per year, until the general
minimum wage reaches $10.25 per hour on March 31, 2010.Implementation
Timelines- By phasing-in increases, the government is helping
low-income workers while giving Ontario businesses the opportunity to
adjust to these increases so that they can stay competitive with other
Canadian and American
jurisdictions.---------------------------------------------------------
Ontario General Minimum Wage Rate/hr
Implementation Date
--------------------------------------------------------- $8.00
February 1, 2007
--------------------------------------------------------- $8.75
March 31, 2008
--------------------------------------------------------- $9.50
March 31, 2009
--------------------------------------------------------- $10.25
March 31, 2010
---------------------------------------------------------Minimum Wages
Across
Canada:-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jurisdiction Current
Minimum Wage Next Scheduled Increase
Rate Per Hour (on March 23, 2007)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alberta
$7.00
None currently scheduled
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British Columbia $8.00
None currently scheduled
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Manitoba
$7.60
$8.00 April 1, 2007
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
New Brunswick $7.00
$7.25 July 1, 2007
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Newfoundland and $7.00
None currently scheduled
Labrador
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Northwest Territories $8.25
None currently scheduled
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Nova Scotia
$7.15
$7.60 May 1, 2007
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Nunavut
$8.50
None currently scheduled
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Prince Edward Island $7.15
$7.50 April 1, 2007
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Quebec
$7.75
$8.00 May 1, 2007
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Saskatchewan $7.95
None currently scheduled
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Yukon
$8.25
$8.37 April 1, 2007
