Students join call for $14 minimum wage

TORONTO, Nov. 14, 2013 /CNW/ - Students' unions across Ontario are joining anti-poverty, labour and community organizations in calling on the provincial government to increase the minimum wage to $14 per hour.

"Coupled with high tuition fees, low wages make it increasingly difficult for students and their families to pay for post-secondary education," said Alastair Woods, Chairperson of the Canadian Federation of Students-Ontario. "Raising the minimum wage and reducing tuition fees would help ensure no student is forced to decide between paying tuition fees and buying groceries."

According to Statistics Canada, youth under the age of 25 account for 60 per cent of all minimum wage workers. Many of these minimum wage workers are also students. Eighty-five per cent of minimum wage workers aged 15 to 19 and 44 per cent of minimum wage workers aged 20 to 24 are also students.

Twenty years ago, a student would only need to work at minimum wage 35 hours a week for 9 weeks to make enough money for tuition fees for one year. Today, a student would have to work more than 20 weeks, more weeks than an entire summer.

"Ontario students and youth are facing unprecedented levels of student debt and a bleak job market after graduation," said Woods. "By increasing the minimum wage to $14 per hour, the government could immediately improve the lives of students and youth."

Students made a series of recommendations to the Ontario Minimum Wage Advisory Panel including increasing the minimum wage to $14 per hour, indexing the minimum wage to CPI, eliminating tiered wages and ending unpaid internships. You can read the full submission here.

SOURCE: Canadian Federation of Students - Ontario

Alastair Woods, Chairperson: 647-378-8942 or [email protected]
Kaley Kennedy, Communications and Government Relations Coordinator: 416-925-3825 or [email protected]