OTTAWA, Aug. 7, 2015 /CNW/ - There are members of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers among about 135,000 people who would see instant wage hikes with a $15/hour federal minimum wage.
"A $15 federal minimum wage is exactly the sort of thing we mean when we talk about real ground-level change in federal politics," says Mike Palecek, CUPW National President. "The majority of our members are doing better than $15, but some of our private-sector members would benefit as soon as the minimum comes in."
CUPW has been negotiating better wages for some of those workers – who work for postal contractors – but hasn't been able to get to $15. "Critics may say that it's a hollow PR move," says Palecek, "but I dare them to say that to the face of our members who could use that bump to help make ends meet. It's pretty cynical for anyone to suggest that a couple dollars an hour isn't meaningful. It's real, and it's about time."
This is not to mention that any increase in a minimum wage – in this case restoring and improving a federal minimum wage that was scrapped in 1996 – is a positive influence on efforts to increase the provincially-set minimums. Minimum wage helps set the value of labour generally, benefitting not only people who make minimum wage, but all workers. It's a step forward in the fight to reduce income inequality.
"It does real good for many people right off the bat, and it's good for us all in the long run," finished Palecek.
SOURCE Canadian Union of Postal Workers
contact CUPW media relations, 613-236-7238 or [email protected]
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