Canadian Labour Reporter

lAbour brieFs 2 Canadian HR Reporter, a Thomson Reuters business 2014 Minimum wage hike won't kill jobs: CCPA OTTAWA — A hike in mini- mum wage has no effect on em- ployment levels, a recent study reports. Released by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (an independent non-profit re- search group) on Oct. 21 and penned by two Unifor econo- mists, the report noted there is no consistent connection be- tween a higher minimum wage and employment levels. "Our results confirm that stimulating more purchasing power in the economy is the most important way to support job creation," said Jim Stanford, author of the study and econo- mist with Unifor and the CCPA. Looking at the relationship between minimum wage and employment levels in all 10 provinces between 1983 and 2012, Stanford said there was no evidence directly linking the two for better or worse. Instead, the research concluded employ- ment levels are determined by macroeconomic factors. That means raising the minimum wage could just as likely result in a more robust labour market. The CCPA report comes on the heels of other such studies, particularly from the Canadian Federation of Independent Busi- ness, that raising the minimum wage is not a benefit it purports to be. "An increase to minimum wage forces small businesses to look for ways to absorb the cost through measures such as re- duced hours, reduced training, or even job cuts," a statement from the CFIB said. But boosting the minimum wage, particularly toward liv- ing wage levels, can not only promote greater equality, but will also stabilize the labour in- come share of the GDP and re- duce poverty, the CCPA report added. "Those with a vested inter- est in keeping wages down have exaggerated the alleged unem- ployment effects of raising the minimum wage," said Jordan Brennan, another economist with Unifor and the CCPA. "The minimum wage is not solely an anti-poverty measure — it has a broader effect in strengthening labour incomes." Brinks workers in Alberta ratify new labour contract CALGARY — Alberta workers with the logistics cash provider Brinks recently ratified a new la- bour contract. The new collective agreement — negotiated with Teamsters Local Union 362 — includes wage increases of 2.5 per cent to three per cent every year for the next four years. Approximately 230 workers are covered by the contract. The agreement will expire in Sep- tember 2018. The union also negotiated a new pension plan, set to start on Jan. 1, 2015. The employer will make contributions to the Prairie Teamsters Pension Plan, along with a Health & Welfare Plan provided by the Prairie Teamsters Health & Welfare. According to the union, this agreement makes Alberta Brinks workers the highest paid in the country, with the best benefits. The contract also includes improvements to several non- monetary clauses. "The negotiations were tough but I am very satisfied with the outcome," said Lance Wallace, a union representative. "The bar- gaining committee and the work- ers banded together for a com- mon cause and today reap the rewards of their ef- forts." 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 Keith Fullford | (416) 649-9585 keith.fullford@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: Thomas Peter (Reuters) lAboUr lens A 17-month lockout at Ikea's fl agship store in Richmond, B.C., has come to an end. The Teamsters union signed a 10-month deal with the furniture company that includes improvements to wages and benefi ts.

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