The Government of Alberta has introduced a discriminatory minimum wage for youth.
On October 1, 2018, the minimum wage in Alberta went up to $15 per hour. Over 300,000 people in our province got a raise - that's 1 in 6 working Albertans.
The effects of the $15 minimum wage were immediately apparent. It was a positive step forward for building a strong economy for all Albertans, and contributed to the child poverty rate decreasing by half over the last two years.
But now, the provincial government is discriminating against youth--a demographic of workers who can't express their opinion at the ballot box--by cutting their minimum wage from $15 to $13 per hour.
This policy divides working people by providing an incentive for businesses to avoid hiring adult low wage workers, who tend to be already-struggling young adults, women, and people of colour.
A discriminatory differential minimum wage is wrong.
Join us to demand equal pay for equal work. Sign the petition today.
I call on the Government of Alberta to eliminate the differential minimum wage for youth, ensuring Alberta's workers are treated equally regardless of age.
