The disparity between income and cost of living grows yet a little further, as a report released earlier this week shows the living wage in the Lower Mainland has risen to $20.68 an hour, up from $20.10 in 2014. The report, Working for a Living Wage 2015: Making Paid Work Meet Basic Family Needs in Metro … Read more
The Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA) just published their latest report, titled The Case for Increasing the Minimum Wage. In it, economist David Green — who is also a professor, a former chair of the Vancouver School of Economics at UBC and an International Fellow at the Institute for Fiscal Studies in London — debunks some common … Read more
Fact #1: Most people living in poverty in B.C. already have at least one job. This is one of those little-known pieces of information that the BC Poverty Reduction Coalition is hoping to get out to the public, and at the same time dispel common myths about poverty in the province. That is why they … Read more
Minimum wage work is women’s work: that’s what West Coast LEAF and the Single Mothers’ Alliance BC said in an informative opinion piece published last month in the Vancouver Province newspaper. Here’s a snippet from the article: Women make up the majority of minimum-wage workers. Among minimum-wage workers aged 25 to 54, 70 per cent … Read more
The transportation referendum for Metro Vancouver is taking place March 16 to May 29. Some key facts about what will happen with the money collected from the proposed 0.5 per cent sales tax to fund transit system improvements: Increasing service on SkyTrain, Canada Line, Westcoast Express, SeaBus, HandyDART and NightBus service Adding 25 per cent … Read more
Single mothers, people on disability and income assistance and low wage earners breathed a collective sigh of relief last week when it was announced that the B.C. government is ending the clawback on child support payments. The news was revealed in the provincial budget and will take effect Sept. 1. Read the full story on … Read more
Here is some more information on the upcoming Richmond forum on Metro Vancouver Transit Referendum taking place on March 2 from 7 to 9 p.m. Add your voice for a better city!