B.C.’s NDP government has pulled the plug on a self-imposed deadline to implement a $15/hour minimum wage by 2021.
In an emailed statement, Labour Minister Harry Bains said the party remains committed to the $15 target, but that it would remove the four-year time limit as a “compromise” with other parties.
“We are a minority government and working with other parties means compromising sometimes while holding true to your values,” Bains said.
In August, Green Leader Andrew Weaver criticized the 2021 deadline, warning that it would be “prejudicial to the work” of an as-of-yet unformed “Fair Wages Commission” planned to oversee the transition without harming businesses.
The NDP said last month that B.C.’s minimum wage would rise by $0.50 cents to $11.35 in September, before beginning its climb to $15.
It said details on the Fair Wages Commission, including its composition and terms of reference, would be announced in the coming weeks.
Alberta will be the first province to offer $15 per hour when the rate increases next year, while Ontario plans to reach that rate in 2019.
–With files form Jon Azpiri