'Fight for $15 Campaign' Calls on McDonald’s to Raise Minimum Wage

The BC Federation of Labour is calling on large fast-food corporations in the province to pay workers a fair wage.

On Wednesday April 15th, the Fight for $15 Campaign will petition corporations in the Lower Mainland, such as McDonald’s, to increase the minimum wage.

“Tomorrow we will be standing with fast-food workers across North America who are fighting for decent pay,” said Irene Lanzinger, President of the BC Federation of Labour. “Traditionally, workers in the fast-food industry are among the lowest paid, living on poverty wages that leave them struggling to make ends meet.

“We are continuing to call the provincial government to increase the minimum wage in BC to $15/hr to ensure that anyone working full-time is not living in poverty.”

Photo credit: BC Federation of Labour.

BC is not the only province that will be participating in the Fight for $15 Campaign, as events are planned in Ontario, Nova Scotia, as well as in over 200 cities across the United States.

Information leafleting and petition signing will happen outside six different McDonald’s locations in the Lower Mainland.

According to the BC Federation of Labour, a recent poll suggests that the public is unsatisfied with the B.C Liberal government’s recent minimum wage increase.

“This poll is evidence that Premier Clark and Minister Bond got it wrong when they increased the minimum wage a pathetic 20 cents,” said Irene Lanzinger, President of the BC Federation of Labour.

The poll was conducted by Insights West and it shows that two-thirds, 68 per cent, of British Columbians continues to support an increase in minimum wage to $15 an hour.

“Despite the BC Liberals best efforts to convince the public otherwise, British Columbians do not think it’s acceptable for a minimum wage worker to live in poverty,” said Lanzinger. “78% of people agree it is necessary to ensure the minimum wage puts a worker above the poverty line.”

A staggering 72 per cent think the recent lift in minimum wage is “inadequate,” considering it puts B.C.’s minimum wage at 10th out of 13 provinces and territories in Canada.

In addition, 78 per cent think it’s necessary to ensure that a person who makes minimum wage in British Columbia lives above the poverty line.

Photo credit: BC Federation of Labour.

According to David Green, from the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives and author of The Case for Increasing the Minimum Wage, found that the benefits to increasing minimum wage to $15 an hour far outweigh the likely costs.

“An increase to $15 would result in some job losses. However, the likely impact is less than a one per cent reduction in the overall provincial employment rate,” read the report.

Green also works to dispel the myth that teenage workers living at home make up the majority of minimum wage workers.

“Focusing on teenage workers plays up an inaccurate stereotype about who earns very low wages in BC and leads to exaggerated claims about job losses.”