Manitoba's minimum wage is increasing
The minimum wage in Manitoba is increasing to $15.30 this October; however, one group is saying it still comes up short.
On Wednesday, the Manitoba government announced that it would be increasing the minimum wage twice in 2023. This includes a 65-cent increase on April 1, 2023, to $14.15 and then a further $1.15 increase on Oct. 1, 2023, to $15.30.
The province notes these increases will put Manitoba in the top three of provincial minimum wages.
In recognition of current financial challenges, Labour and Immigration Minister Jon Reyes said the government passed legislative amendments to the Employment Standards Code that allows the minimum wage to be increased above the legislated inflation-tied formula.
“To balance the financial realities of Manitoba workers and the economic challenges for small businesses, we implemented a phased-in approach that will help more Manitobans get ahead,” he said in a news release.
Despite this increase means Manitoba will have one of the highest minimum wages of any province, the Manitoba Federation of Labour (MFL) is concerned that it still isn’t enough.
In a statement, MFL president Kevin Rebeck said a minimum wage of $15.30 still falls $3 short of a living wage, which is the wage workers need to be able to meet their basic needs.
Rebeck said that the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives – Manitoba has calculated that the living wage in Winnipeg is $18.34.
“That means that even after the minimum wage increases to $15.30 in October, there will be people who work full-time but still live in poverty in Manitoba,” he said.
Rebeck noted that the government’s formula for minimum wage increases was put in place in 2016 and began with a base rate of $11. Although minimum wage has been indexed to inflation since 2016, Rebeck said it remains below the poverty line and won’t rise above it unless it is “significantly rebased.”
“The Stefanson government’s funding formula keeps people in poverty, and will never lift them out,” he said.
“It is an insult to basic human dignity to have Manitobans working full-time and still living in poverty.”
Reyes said the inflation-tied formula ensures Manitoba’s minimum wage is linked to economic indicators.
Wednesday’s minimum wage announcement comes after Manitoba increased the minimum wage to $13.50 on Oct. 1, 2022.
More information on Manitoba’s minimum wage can be found online.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparents killed in wrong-way crash on Hwy. 401 identified
A 60-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman killed in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 earlier this week have been identified by the Consulate General of India in Toronto.
Police arrest 3 Indian nationals in killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar
Three people have been arrested and charged in the killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar – as authorities continue investigating potential connections to the Indian government.
TD worst-case scenario more likely after drug money laundering allegations: analyst
TD Bank Group could be hit with more severe penalties than previously expected, says a banking analyst after a report that the investigation it faces in the U.S. is tied to laundering illicit fentanyl profits.
Human remains found in rural Sask. possibly a decade old, RCMP say
RCMP say human remains found in a rural area in central Saskatchewan may have been there for a decade or more.
2 charged after police find 'concerning and diverse' explosives at Manitoba home
Winnipeg police say they have arrested two people in their 20s after a large amount of explosives were found in a home outside of Winnipeg, Man.
Canadian doctor concerned new weight-loss drug Wegovy may be used inappropriately
As Wegovy becomes available to Canadians starting Monday, a medical expert is cautioning patients wanting to use the drug to lose weight that no medication is a ''magic bullet,' and the new medication is meant particularly for people who meet certain criteria related to obesity and weight.
Spain abolishes national bullfighting award in cultural shift
Spain scrapped an annual bullfighting award on Friday, prompting a rebuke from conservatives over a backlash against a centuries-old tradition they see as an art form but which has run into growing concern for animal welfare.
Drew Carey is never quitting 'The Price Is Right'
Drew Carey took over as host of 'The Price Is Right' and hopes he’s there for life. 'I'm not going anywhere,' he told 'Entertainment Tonight' of the job he took over from longtime host Bob Barker in 2007.
Police officer hit by driver of fleeing vehicle in Toronto
York Regional Police say they are continuing to search for a suspect in an auto theft investigation who was captured on video running over a police officer in Toronto last month.