It’s unconscionable that anyone can get away with paying someone less than what they need to live — to buy food, pay their bills, and have a reasonable home in which to live.
Yet, that is actually the case throughout this country, with minimum wages that fail to keep pace with the cost of living.
The Region of Waterloo has a chance to change that, at least for the people it chooses to hire for its janitorial, cafeteria and groundskeeping services.
The living wage policy, which was deferred at a recent council meeting, would ensure that workers for the region (other than students) would be paid a minimum $13.62 per hour.
That’s enough, according to Opportunities Waterloo Region, for individuals to live above the poverty line. It’s by no means an extravagant amount.
Yet councillors balked at supporting this proposal, with a range of excuses for deferring it until after the fall election.
Some suggested it is not the region’s place to deal with wage disparity issues, while others felt that the timing was wrong, given the current economic climate.
They are wrong on both accounts.
While it is up to the province to mandate minimum wage standards, the region should not be permitted to continue paying its staff less than what they need to make a living.
The region has shown leadership on any number of issues over the years, including recycling and protection of the environment.
It should do no less when it comes to paying an honest wage for an honest day’s work.
In reality, paying residents a wage that puts them above the poverty line is very cost-effective. It reduces the strain on social services — provided by the region, in many cases — such as the food bank, social housing, and homeless shelters.
It also gives these employees more spending power, something that would stand to benefit businesses throughout the region.
And, it might just inspire other businesses to make the $13.62 per hour their minimum standard when it comes to pay, rather than the current minimum wage, which sits at $9.50 per hour.
As for the argument that the current poor economic climate is not the right time for such a move, we disagree.
It is always the right time to do the right thing.
Those who are being paid less than what they deserve are struggling more than the rest of us these days, and that’s saying a lot.
Given that the regional members of council opted to defer this until after the municipal election this October, we hope that this issue will become part of the upcoming campaign for office.
No one should be paid less than what they need to survive.
Regional council should take leadership on this issue, and ensure that their employees aren’t the ones who end up in this year’s food bank line.