Boost to Ontario's minimum wage coming in October, all three parties promise increase

Regardless of which party comes to power after the June provincial election, the minimum wage will be going up in Ontario.

“For workers out there, they can know that under Premier Ford that the minimum wage is going to go up every October,” said Ontario’s minister of labour, Monte McNaughton.

The Progressive Conservatives pledge to boost the minimum wage from $15 an hour to $15.50 in October, and again every subsequent October based on the rate of inflation.

Officials say that employees being paid minimum wage, working 40 hours a week, will see their pay rise by $1,768 over a year.

“It’s important we build back a better Ontario for all workers, rebalance all those skills, and that’s why we continue to ensure that we’re bringing in more opportunities for workers so they get bigger pay cheques, and more opportunities and more workplace protections,” said McNaughton.

The Ontario Liberals are promising $16 an hour by 2023, along with 10 paid sick days if they win in June.

The NDP is promising a $16 minimum wage as of October 1, slowly increasing that amount to $20 by 2026.

Some are applauding the all-party attention to matters of affordability.

“We live in one of the richest provinces in a rich country. We shouldn’t have to beg and shame our governments into doing what’s right,” says Paul Taylor, the executive director of FoodShare.

Local business representatives have nothing against wage increases, just the timing of them.

“If people get paid well, the money flows back into the community and benefits everyone. So you have to make sure people are paid a decent amount of wages. So we’re all for it,” says Rakesh Naidu, president of the Windsor-Essex Chamber of Commerce.

He says on the heels of a recent boost to the minimum wage in January and with many businesses still recovering from the pandemic, the timing is tough on business.

He’d like to see any future increases tied to economic indicators and announced well in advance so businesses have time to prepare.

“Another wage increase come October is too soon,” he said. “We need to give businesses the opportunity to stabilize their business, an ability to reopen and recover and enough of a chance to be sustainable and viable, so they can afford to pay the wages.”

The provincial election is scheduled for June 2, 2022.

-With files from CTV Toronto’s Katherine DeClerq