YOUR VOICE: A $15/hour minimum wage would be good for the construction industry

YOUR VOICE is a new feature of Canadiancontractor.ca where we ask you to weigh in on a topic relevant to our industry.

TOPIC: A federally mandated $15/hour minimum wage would be good for the construction industry

STORY: Last month, Canadian Contractor reported that Harvest Homes Ltd. of Guelph ON sought and received certification as a Fair Wage Employer from the Ontario Living Wage Network (OLWN) and the Guelph and Wellington Task Force for Poverty Reduction (GWTFPR). The GWTFPR has established $16.90 per hour (for non-student hires) as the baseline for a living wage in the Guelph Wellington region, the minimum wage Evolve now pays all its employees.

POV 1: Yes! All Canadians should expect to be paid a living wage. $15/hour is a fair baseline for all wage earners and the construction industry should get with the program to help poor Canadians get out of poverty.

POV 2: Absolutely NO! A minimum wage puts poor Canadians effectively out of work when companies that are looking to expand don’t because they don’t have the resources to add labour at the rate mandated. And with the regulations already in place making layoffs harder and harder, the risk of adding employees is just not worth it.

POV 3: There should be a minimum wage of $15/hour, but construction companies should be exempted. The renovation industry in particular is an excellent entry point for those having difficulty finding employment as long as the decision regarding wages are left to company owners.

What do you think? Have your say below.