Ontario to boost minimum wage to $15 an hour
BNN Bloomberg
Ontario will increase the minimum wage to $15 an hour, Premier Doug Ford announced Tuesday, drawing support from labour leaders who called the move a good start.
MILTON, Ont. -- Ontario will increase the minimum wage to $15 an hour, Premier Doug Ford announced Tuesday, drawing support from labour leaders who called the move a good start.
Ford, who previously cancelled an increase from $14 to $15 that was supposed to happen in 2019, said he's looking to make life more affordable.
"More than 760,000 Ontario workers will be getting a raise," Ford said. "I can't think of a better way for our government to be working for workers than ensuring hundreds of thousands of people take more pay home."
Ford made the announcement outside a Unifor building while standing next to Unifor national president Jerry Dias and OPSEU president Warren "Smokey" Thomas - two people who have been harsh critics of the premier.
"Look, has this government done things that have raised my ire? The answer is yes," Dias said.
"Do we still continue to debate over some policy initiatives they've implemented that I totally disagree with? The answer is yes. But the bottom line is I'm here today, understanding that we're having a discussion on minimum wage, recognizing that it's a good start."