Living wage law may lead to higher municipal taxes or reduced spending on other services.
living wage laws
Living wage laws tend to reduce employment opportunities for low-wage and low-skilled workers.
City council recently voted unanimously to support a 20-year plan aimed at reducing poverty in Toronto—a laudable initiative if council avoids enacting policies that may do more harm than good.
Mayor Gregor Robertson has started a push for the City of Vancouver to become a “living wage employer.”
The minimum wage debate raging in the United States has spilled into Canada sparking renewed interest in government-mandated wage floors. Labour activists are out in full force pushing governments to legislate higher pay for low-wage workers and one version calls on municipalities to decree a living wage law. While these laws may sound like a good idea in theory, they do little to help the most vulnerable workers in practice.