Ucluelet First Nation adopts living wage policy

Ucluelet(Yuuuiath) First Nation has become the second First Nation in Canada to implement a "living wage" or a wage intended to cover the basic costof living.

Employees of the First Nation government will now be paid $20.11 per hour,a wagebased on the rising costof livingin Ucluelet.

"The cost of living is extremely high where we live, and I wanted to ensure our people do not suffer unfairly as a result, said Ucluelet First Nation president Les Doiron.

"The new living wage is really going to make a difference for our people".

A living wage is based on theliving costs for a two-parent family with two children, with each parent working full time.The living wage for the Ucluelet, B.C., region is calculatedby the Clayoquot Biosphere Trust, which bases the wage on the local cost of necessities like food, housing, transportationand child care.

In the Ucluelet First Nation, the costof living isso high that many people working minimumwage mustwork multiple jobs to make ends meet.

"It means I won't have to work a second job, and I can spend more time with my family, including two young kids," said Celena Cook, a Ucluelet First Nationgovernment employee.

DeannaOgle, the campaign organizer for theLiving Wage for Families Campaign, said that having more than one job is common for people working forminimum wage inthat region.

"Peopleare making up that difference by adding on additional work.Often, they are having one, two or three jobs to make ends meet," said Ogle.

"They aren'table to cut back on rent costs, because they have such limited housing options in these smaller communities and the cost ofgroceries is non-negotiablewhen you don't have a lot ofgrocery stores to choose from."

In 2014, theHuu-ay-ahtFirst Nationwas the first in Canada to implement the living wage policy for its government employees. Recently, they haveexpanded the policyto include all employees ofbusinesses owned by the First Nation.

"It isultimately something their membership is very proud to be able to do," saidOgle. "It's a way of walking the talk on our values of caring for one another in the community."

AcrossB.C., there are currently over 80 living wage employers, including the governmentsofVancouver, Port Coquitlam, Pitt Meadows, Parksville, New Westminster and Quesnel.