Anyone in the District of Cochrane being paid the Ontario minimum wage of $15.50 an hour still isn’t earning a living wage.
The latest figures from the Ontario Living Wage Network show that workers here need to make at least $20.30 an hour to cover basic expenses.
Noella Rinaldo, director of community economic development at the Timmins Economic Development Corporation, says that number is an aggregate, based on different situations.
“It gathers the expenses for three types of households: two households supporting two small children; a single parent and a single child; and a single person,” she details. “So it does kind of round it all out so that those are all taken into effect.”
Rinaldo says TEDC understands that times are tough, but not paying a living wage can be one reason why employers have a hard time retaining workers. They can’t afford to stay, and live comfortably.
“There’s no frivolity in here,” she remarks. “These are like shelter and transportation, childcare, food – which is a huge part of it – and taxes and things like a cell phone, which is crucial in today’s world.”
Listen to our complete interview posted below. It mentions how you can certify your businesses as a living wage employer.
