Canadian Labour Reporter

lAboUr brieFs 2 Canadian HR Reporter, a Thomson Reuters business 2014 Minimum wage in 1975 and 2013 equal, in constant dollars: statsCan ottaWa — Those who earned minimum wage in 1975 were making the same amount, in constant dollars, as their counterparts in 2013. According to a report re- leased on July 16 by Statistics Canada, the average minimum wage in 2013 was $10.14 per hour, and $10.13 in 1975 (ex- pressed in 2013 dollars, to ac- count for inflation). In between that period, how- ever, the minimum wage fluc- tuated significantly. Between 1975 and 1986, the wage de- clined from $10.13 to $7.53, before increasing to $8.81 in 1996. Up until 2003, the mini- mum wage remained relatively stable, at around $8.50. Since then, each province has raised its rate. The report also noted 6.7 per cent of the Canadian workforce earned the minimum wage in 2013, a jump from five per cent in 1997 — with much of that increase happening between 2003 and 2010. Of the provinces, Prince Edward Island and Ontario employ the highest number of minimum wage workers, at 9.3 per cent and 8.9 per cent re- spectively. Alberta has the low- est rate, at 1.8 per cent. Young, less-educated, part- time and service industry workers were most likely to be paid the base wage. ontario looking to tie minimum wage increases to Cpi ottaWa — Following On- tario's June 1, 2014, minimum wage increase to $11, the prov- ince is introducing legislation to ensure its minimum wage keeps pace with the cost of living. The Stronger Workplaces for a Stronger Economy Act, 2014, is designed to further increase pro- tections for vulnerable workers. The act would, if passed: • Tie future minimum wage in- creases to the consumer price index • Eliminate the $10,000 cap on the recovery of unpaid wages and increasing the period of recovery from six and 12 months to two years for em- ployees • Prohibit employers from charging fees and seizing per- sonal documents such as pass- ports from temporary foreign workers • Make temporary help agen- cies and their clients liable for certain employment standards violations, helping to decrease the number of companies that hire individuals solely to work in unsafe conditions. The province will also boost the number of enforcement of- ficers in the province to ensure more workplaces are inspected and employees are protected, said the government. "Taking the politics out of setting the minimum wage pro- vides fairness for workers and predictability for businesses. This legislation, if passed, would also protect the most vulnerable workers and level the playing field for employers who play by the rules," said Kevin Flynn, min- ister of labour. If the legislation passes — Ontario has a Liberal majority government — increases to the minimum wage would be an- nounced by April 1 of each year, and come into effect on Oct. 1. The act is a combination of the Fair Minimum Wage Act, originally introduced on Feb. 25, 2014, and the Stronger Work- places for a Stronger Economy Act, originally introduced on Dec. 4, 2013. Temporary arts workers interrupt a play at the Avignon Festival in France with a sign that translates to "This is not a blockage." The workers have staged several demonstrations in recent months to protest what they say is an unfair new contract that curtails their unemployment benefi ts. ForMerlY Clv reports serving labour relations professionals since 1956 www.labour-reporter.com published weekly by omson reuters Canada ltd. subscription rate: $595 per year Customer service tel: (416) 609-3800 (Toronto) (800) 387-5164 (outside Toronto) Fax: (416) 298-5106 email: carswell.customerrelations@ thomsonreuters.com Website: www.carswell.com Director, Carswell Media Karen Lorimer publisher John Hobel - On leave acting publisher/Managing editor Todd Humber news editor Sabrina Nanji | (416) 649-9348 sabrina.nanji@thomsonreuters.com news editor Liz Foster | (416) 298-5129 liz.foster@thomsonreuters.com Marketing Co-ordinator Travis Chan | (416) 609-5872 travis.chan@thomsonreuters.com © 2014 Carswell, a division of omson Reuters Canada Ltd. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the written permission of the publisher. e publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting or other professional advice. If legal or other expert assistanceis required, the services of a competent professional should be sought. e analysis contained herein represents the opinion of the authors and should in no way be construed as being either offi cial or unoffi cial policy of any governmental body. ISSN 0045-5113 Publications Registration 2089 Canadian Labour Reporter is part of the Canadian HR Reporter group of publications. Visit www.hrreporter.com for more information. Labour Reporter Canadian www.labourreporter.com Photo: Philippe Laurenson (Reuters) lAbOUr lens

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