Minimum wages

[tracy]

This minimum wage topic pisses me off, because it should be raised. North American minimum wages are way too low. Bottom line should have been $9 or thereabouts. It's just ridiculous.

I just don't see what a huge difference it would make for someone to go from 7.50 to 9. Minimum wage jobs are never going to be enough to provide a good living.

 

[#juan]

The whole idea of a legislated minimum wage it a bit of a misnomer because the minimum wage soon becomes the maximum wage. Minimum wage plus tips is the standard of the service industry. A waiter, or waitress in the best restaurants can't usually expect any more than that. There are some restaurants that actually pocket the tips which I think is a despicable practice.

 

[I think not]

This minimum wage topic pisses me off, because it should be raised. North American minimum wages are way too low. Bottom line should have been $9 or thereabouts. It's just ridiculous.

I just don't see what a huge difference it would make for someone to go from 7.50 to 9. Minimum wage jobs are never going to be enough to provide a good living.

Minimum wage is $5.15 an hour, not $7.50.

 

[#juan]

Minimum wage in Canada by province:

link

 

[Kreskin]

The good paying factory wage in China is about $1.50 per day.

 

[tracy]

This minimum wage topic pisses me off, because it should be raised. North American minimum wages are way too low. Bottom line should have been $9 or thereabouts. It's just ridiculous.

I just don't see what a huge difference it would make for someone to go from 7.50 to 9. Minimum wage jobs are never going to be enough to provide a good living.

Minimum wage is $5.15 an hour, not $7.50.

Sure, that's the national minimum wage in the US, though several states do have their own which is higher. California's minimum is 6.75, 8.50 in SF. BC's (where I'm from) is around $8. It still isn't a really livable wage.

http://www.dol.gov/esa/minwage/america.htm#California

 

[I think not]

No, it isn't by far a livable wage, hell I'm all for $15 an hour as a minimum, but its not going to happen anytime soon, at least $9 is a start.

 

[LittleRunningGag]

"It is not the same everywhere in Alberta (F. Mac), but its close.

No it isn't. It's nothing like that in 95% of the province. We have a second house'in suburbia' we rent out in Calgary for $950/month. It's quite large with 3 bathrooms and 3 bedrooms. We live outselves in the inner city and although houses start around 500 thousand, they rent out at quite reasonable rents. (I think) less than in Vancouver or Toronto. Usually about 800/month for the top half of a 3 bedroom bungalow and 500 to 600 for the finished, self-contained basement suite. tat's inner city. Just beyond inner city about 900/month for a 2 bedroom apartment or condo rental.

I would tend to disagree. From what I saw late last year, when we were looking for housing, $600 was the bottom end. And its getting more and more expensive.

Then you didn't look very hard. $600 will get you a lot more than a bed in Calgary or Edmonton and have to pay fridge rental on top of that. It'll get you more everywhere in the province outside of Fort Mac.

Ahem. Well, ignoring the jab because it doesn't relate to trying to find housing and makes you look like a conceited dickhead, I was speaking of straight rent in Calgary, outside of the Forest Lawn area. Sorry, that may seem picky but I'm in favour of living through the night. You should consider what it takes to actually get a place. Anything that is anywhere near the $600 range, and in a livable neighborhood, is snapped up as soon as its advertised. We only managed to get the place we got because we snatched it up the day it became available.

One of the reasons we live in Alberta is because it's relatively inexpensive. No sales tax, low provincial income tax, Ralph bucks, energy rebates and so on.

I didn't say anything about Alberta did I? No I don't think I did in this thread. And they're Prosperity Cheques. His Excellency, King Ralph didn't reach into his pocket to give you that money, so it shouldn't be called a "Ralph Buck." It was your money in the first place, you should treat it that way.