Manitoba's minimum wage is now $15.30, but more support is needed, advocates say

The first day of the month marked a boost in Manitoba's minimum wage, which reached$15.30 Sunday.

The increase makes Manitoba's lowest wage the third-highest among the provinces behind B.C. and Ontario, which payminimum wage workers $16.75 and $16.55 an hour, respectively, according to theRetail Council of Canada. But despite the increase, some feel it's still not a livable wage in the province.

"We're glad to see that it has increased, we would have liked to have seen it increase so that it is a living wage because many families are struggling," said Louise Simbandumwe, a co-director of SEED Winnipeg, a non-profit organization established to address poverty.

The wage previously rose from $13.50 to $14.15 on April 1 to fight inflation, the province announced last fall.

Simbandumwe said in addition to minimum wage increases, there's also a range of other things the families SEED works with need in order to be in a "financially stable situation."

She pointed to low employment and income assistance rates, and added that because some agencies have moved their services to virtual appointments, people who can't afford a phone or internet aren't able to access certain services.

"A lot more needs to be done to support families and community members achieve financial stability," she said. "There's just too many people that are falling through the cracks and are in a really desperate situation."

A living wage in Winnipeg would be $18.34 a little over three dollars more than the new minimum, according to the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives. That figure was released in a 2022 CCPA report called Manitoba Living Wage: Update 2022.

The CCPA plans to update its data for November, the organization's Manitoba director Molly McCracken said. She added while the figure is for Winnipeg specifically, it's also used "as a proxy" for the entire province.

"It's long overdue that Manitoba's wage go over fifteen dollars anti-poverty and labour organizers were calling for this back in 2014," said McCracken.

Minimum-wage workers are mainly working for big companies with over 500 employees who can afford to pay them more, McCracken said. She added she thinks there's more understanding of the need for a livable wage as the prices of things like food and rent continue to rise.

Increase a small step forward

But while the increase is good for workers, it's going to be a challenge for small businesses as they battle inflation, said Chuck Davidson, the president and CEO of the Manitoba Chambers of Commerce.

Davidson said a business may have to decide at one point if they're going to hire fewerpeople or give staff a reduced number of hours if they can't afford to pay workers minimum wage. He said an alternative for businesses may be selling their goods at increased prices so they can continue their operations.

Davidson added he doesn't think the minimum wage increase is a bad thing, but doesn't want some of the effects that may come with it to fall entirely on businesses in the province.

"We're not saying not [to] have that increase, but what we're saying is there needs to be a balance as well," he said. "It can't all be downloaded onto the backs of small business owners in the province in terms of making up for the difference."

Manitoba's new minimum wage is a step in the right direction for Simbandumwe, but it's not the end of the conversation. She said it will be key to keep pushing for and making sure others understand why receiving a livable wage is important.

"The minimum wage increase will help some people, but it won't help all of the people that are in dire straits right now," said Simbandumwe.