Poverty group wants N.B. government to increase minimum wage

New BrunswickCommon Front for Social Justice launched a campaign Monday asking the New Brunswick government to increase the minimum wage.

Chantal Landry and others from the group want to see it increased to $15 per hour.

New Brunswick has the lowest minimum wage in Canada at $10.30 an hour.

"Power just went up in October, it's going to continue to increase every year, so when you're looking at that and you're looking at everyone's basic needs and having a decent life, not just the basic needs but having a decent life, people aren't able to do that on $10.30 an hour," said Landry.

Marilyn Riel volunteers with a poverty group in Moncton and says she has always worked for minimum wage.

"To have some food on the table and to feel comfortable I had to have someone live with me to share my rent," a situationthat wasn't always ideal,she said.

"We shouldn't have to struggle like that, we should be able to be free and get a wage enough to survive and be independent, as a Canadian."

The province has promised to increase the minimum wage to $11 an hour by 2017.

We shouldn't have to struggle like that- Marilyn Riel

But, Landry says that's not enough.

Common Front for Social Justice says the 20,900 people worked for minimum wage in N.B. in 2014, which is more than double the number in 2004.

Of that amount, 65 per cent are 20 years and older. There are over 13,000 women and nearly 8,000 men working for minimum wage.

Landry says the group wants to ensure minimum wage is subject to review and indexed annually.

But Pumphouse Brewery Owner Lilia Fraser says $15 an hour is too much.

"It's a huge hit, it's too much of a jump."

Fraser says most of her nearly 30 employees make minimum wage and labour costs are still her largest expense.

She says an increase of that size would have to be made up somewhere and it would be the customers.

"So immediately it's going to go back to the consumers plate you know."

But Landry says more money in people's pockets means more spending cash going back to businesses.