Minimum wage in B.C. increases to $13.85 an hour today

The good news today is the minimum wage in B.C. is going up to $13.85 from $12.65.

The bad news, according to anti-poverty campaigners, is that it's still woefully below what's needed to afford a good life in the province.

The living wage, which is what a working couple with two children needs to earnto pay for things like housing, child care, and transportation is calculated at $19.50 per hour for 2019 for Metro Vancouver by the Living Wage for Families Campaign.

'Significant gap'

Halena Seiferling, who speaks for the campaign in B.C.,says the gap amounts to tens of thousands of dollars in lost revenue for families who need it.

"There's still a significant gap there," she said of the difference between the minimum wage and the living wage.

Saturday'sincrease for the province's lowest paid workersis part of the provincial government's plan to raise the current wage to just over $15 anhour by 2021.

The province says the plan will help to make life more affordable for people, while also allowing businesses to plan around how to afford the wage.

Next June, the minimum wage will rise to $14.60 an hour before going up to $15.20 on June 1, 2021.

• B.C.'s move to raise minimum wagetoo slow says B.C. Federation of Labour
• For these B.C. businesses, $15 is already the minimum wage

An independent panel, the Fair Wages Commission, was established in 2017 to look at the minimum wage.

Now it's looking at howto narrow the gap between the minimum wage and the living wage and hasextended its deadline to June 28 foraccepting submissions from workers for newrecommendations for the provincial government,

• Provincial commission seeks to close gap between minimum wage and living wage

Seiferling says the Living Wage for Families Campaign is recommending the commission become permanent.

She says though the minimum wage will increase and is increasing over the next several years, there's no plan beyond 2021.

"We don't know what's going to happen after that," she said.

Other increases for other low paying jobs

As part of the minimum wage increase, other workers in low paying jobs are also seeing better wages.

The minimum wage for a liquor server is increasign 11.4 per centto $12.70 per hour.

Meanwhile, the resident caretaker minimum wagewill increase 9.5 per cent per month to $831.45 for those who manage nine to 60 units or $2,832.11 for 61 or more units.

The live-in camp leader minimum wage will increase 9.5 per centto $110.87 a day.