Advocates gathered outside the New Brunswick Labour Minister’s office in Saint John on Monday to demand better working conditions.
Organized by the New Brunswick Common Front for Social Justice, the demonstration by more than a dozen was held outside Minister Trevor Holder’s constituency office.
The group delivered a letter outlining the need for a $20 minimum wage, 10 employer-paid annual sick days, changes to the overtime pay scale, and compensation for mandatory work items such as clothing.
The letter received over 200 signatures, a member of the Common Front said.
Melanie Clark, a resident of Saint John, said she previously lived on social assistance but made her way back into the labour force in hopes of making a better life for her kids.
Instead, Clark said she discovered a significant flaw in the system.
“I just kept struggling, and to be honest, it would have been easier to be on assistance than to go back to work, which is a sad thing to say,” She told Global News.
Between rising costs for transportation, childcare and groceries, Clark felt an increased burden while making what she describes as a “tiny” bit more than minimum wage.
“It’s kind of embarrassing to say that, but my kids struggled, and I struggled because of my wages.”
Janelle LeBlanc, the provincial coordinator for the New Brunswick Common Front for Social Justice, said the current minimum wage “doesn’t cut it” amid cost increases across the board.
In October, the provincial government bumped the minimum wage to $13.75 per hour. While New Brunswick has the highest minimum wage among the Atlantic Canadian provinces, it remains without a public plan for future increases.
“We’re hoping that the government is going to introduce some kind of plan next year. We’ll see, but it is disappointing, the increase to $13.75, and that’s it. It just doesn’t cover it. People can’t live on $13.75 an hour now.”
Minister of Post-Secondary Education, Training and Labour Trevor Holder was not made available for an interview.
In a statement to Global News, the minister stated the government supports the right to demonstrate.
“As Minister of Post-Secondary Education, Training and Labour, it is important to me to listen to any concerns brought forward in relation to working condition and wages,” the statement reads.
“In terms of wages, I am incredibly proud to have brought forward a historic increase to the province’s minimum wage in 2022, the largest single-year increase in 40 years.
“We also expect that in 2023 there will be another significant increase due to the indexing of minimum wage to the consumer price index.”
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