Dignity, Ontario and the Minimum Wage

http://www.retailcouncil.org/quickfacts/minimum-wage

Any second now, the Ontario government will announce what it will do for workers. It’s called the Changing Workplaces Review. And if you haven’t noticed, the value of work has been in decline for a couple generations and the 1% are riding high.

After a very long review of the condition of workers, with plenty of consultation, they will announce whether they’ll do anything meaningful for workers.

As we pivot to a new world of more dignity, I have high hopes that Ontario will do more than to just make businesses happy. Guess what they want? Certainly not a $15 minimum wage. It cuts into their profits.

But they’ll SAY it’ll end the world as we know it. They are full of myths and lies. But here are some arguments to innoculate ourselves from those who tell us that we all need to make less money for “the economy” to stay healthy. And by the economy, they mean the 1%.

The $15 minimum wage is good: busting business lobby myths

May 18, 2017 Michal Rozworski

With the Ontario government seriously considering raising the minimum wage thanks to the tireless organizing efforts of the $15 and Fairness campaign, the labour movement and thousands of supporters, the business lobby is out fear-mongering in force. Here is a tool for the rest of us to fight back. It’s a collection of 5 myths and facts about raising the minimum wage: clear arguments for why $15 an hour is right for Ontario workers and the Ontario economy.

And after you read Michal’s awesome piece, watch this video from Nick Hanauer, one of many members of the 1% who are big fans of raising the minimum wage, and their arguments are based on capitalist goals, which is pretty damning, really. And he should know; they’ve done it in his Seattle already. He knows the scourge of increasing economic inequality.