Manitoba’s minimum wage increasing this fall

Manitoba’s minimum wage will increase this fall, though a representative from a local union says the increase is still not enough to help people live.

The province announced Friday it would be raising the hourly minimum wage from $11.95 to $12.35, a 40-cent increase.

Currently, Manitoba has the second-lowest minimum wage in Canada, slightly higher than Saskatchewan, where the minimum wage is $11.81.

Jeff Traeger, president of UFCW Local 832, says the increase in Manitoba is not nearly enough.

“New Brunswick is increasing their minimum by a dollar right now to $12.75, and another dollar later this year to get it to $13.75,” he said. “Manitobans will have to wait nearly six months to see a 40-cent increase, and we’re still going to be $1.40 behind New Brunswick and we’re still going to be the second-lowest minimum wage in the country.”

Traeger said the increase for full-time employees works out to be $800 a year before taxes. He says with gas and food prices going up, it will still remain hard for workers making minimum wage.

“Everything is going up incredibly, and Manitoba minimum wage workers are just falling further and further behind,” he said. “This announcement just ensures that they’re going to continue being the working poor in this province for many, many months to come.”

The wage increase takes effect on Oct. 1.