Friday November 24, 2006
For Immediate Release
Toronto, ON – “The need for a National
Minimum Wage has never been greater and I
applaud the NDP for its leadership with this
initiative,” said IAMAW Canadian General
Vice President Dave Ritchie.
“The recent introduction of Bill C-375
calling for a national minimum wage is yet
another clear example of how the NDP fights
on behalf of working Canadian families.”
Bill C – 375, an act to amend the Canadian
Labour Code (minimum wage) was introduced by
NDP MP Peggy Nash (Parkdale-High Park) and
seconded by NDP MP Libby Davies (Vancouver
East). If adopted it would apply directly to
those working under federal jurisdiction in
every province and territory, about 10 per
cent of the Canadian workforce, including
transport, telecommunications and some First
Nation workers. The Federal minimum wage was
eliminated in 1996 under the Liberal
government and since then the current
provincial or territorial rates were adopted
as the federal minimums.
“A single person working full time in Canada
needs an hourly rate of at least $10 an hour
just to reach the poverty line,” said
Davies. “Raising minimum wages benefits low
income earners and is a powerful tool to
fight poverty.”
The Canadian Council for Social Development
has stressed the importance of a federal
minimum wage and recommends a rate of $10 an
hour. In its recent submission to the
Federal Labour Review Commission, the
Council stated that “Canada Labour Code’s
importance extends far beyond the numbers of
workers covered and can serve as a ‘best
practice’ for labour standards across the
country.”
Nash is hopeful that her bill will find
support amongst MPs from all political
parties. “Raise the minimum wage, because in
a just society no one working full time for
a full year should find themselves in
poverty,” explained Nash.
The IAMAW, among the largest industrial
trade unions in North America, represents
more than 700,000 active and retired
members, and administers more than 5,000
contracts in transportation, woodworking,
aerospace, manufacturing and defense related
industries.
