75 replies to this topic

[concorde]

I have to agree with VicHockeyFan, even McDonalds and fast food places are paying around $10/hr to start.

I find most of the young expect at least $14/hr to start with no skills. Second, there is no benefit to keeping employees part time versus full time, or if there is I must be missing something.

I couldn't imagine the response if I started to offer employees $6/hr to start if they qualified.

[Sue Woods]

I find most of the young expect at least $14/hr to start with no skills. Second, there is no benefit to keeping employees part time versus full time, or if there is I must be missing something.
.

The benefit of p/t casual is that the employer is not required to pay benefits or commit to miminum wage until they have been in the workforce for 500 hours. See legislation posted below.

However, I do agree that the work enviornment has changed a lot in recent years and employers are paying better. So fairness prevails - but only because of market demand - not because of legislation.

[Sue Woods]

BC Employment Standards

15 (1) Subject to sections 16 to 18, the minimum wage is $8.00 an hour.
(2) Despite subsection (1), the minimum wage is $6.00 an hour for an employee who
(a) has no paid employment experience before November 15, 2001, and
(b) has 500 or fewer hours of cumulative paid employment experience with one or more employers.
[en. B.C. Reg. 307/2000, s. 2; am. B.C. Reg. 261/2001.]


BC Min of Labour and Citizens services

The minimum wage in British Columbia is $8 per hour. Minimum wage applies to all employees regardless of how they are paid — hourly, salary, commission or other incentive basis. Salespersons on straight commission must be paid at least minimum wage for all hours worked in a pay period. The First Job/Entry Level minimum wage is $6 per hour. This only applies to employees with no paid work experience before November 15, 2001. After they have worked for a total of 500 hours with one or more employers, these employees are entitled to the regular minimum wage rate.

[Holden West]

As much as I find the six buck and hour policy distasteful, I agree it's a moot point as I would be very surprised to learn of any youth earning that low of a wage. There might be one or two stores that managed to briefly con a teen into accepting six dollars but I doubt it. The kid would wise up in a few days when they found out every other place in the city is hiring at around the $8 to $10 range for entry-level.

Uh, to get this thread back on track...council pay raise good.

[yodsaker]

Not too many kids are willing to work for $6/hour these days, the legislation notwithstanding.
My daughter got her first job at a Subway shop last year when she was 14 and her starting pay was $7.50/hr.

[Holden West]

^Case closed. You can't get much lower on the totem pole than that.

[Ms. B. Havin]

Did people see this? (Granted, it's Edmonton, and the mayor and councilors are making quite a bit more than mayor and councilors in Victoria...)

Mayor rejects pay increase

Would have been 'improper' given state of economy, Mandel says

By Jamie Hall January 1, 2009 Comments (2)

Mayor Stephen Mandel says his decision to forego a 5.5-per-cent raise is not intended to pressure city councillors to follow suit.

"It's up to council what they want to do. They have to make their own decisions," Mandel said Tuesday.

"The mayor makes more money than they do, to begin with."

Kim Krushell plans to accept the increase, despite some reservations, and believes her colleagues will do the same.

The increase is the result of an annual review which is linked to the cost of living in the province.

Since 2006, salaries for Edmonton city council members have been revised yearly according to the previous year's average weekly earnings in Alberta as reported by Statistics Canada.

In 2008, the average weekly earnings in Alberta increased 5.5 per cent.

Under the current compensation formula, that means city councillors will make $79,287 next year, up from $75,154.

The mayor's salary will increase to $143,158 from $135,694.

Mandel, however, informed city administration that he wants to maintain his salary at the 2008 level.

"I felt that because I've asked people to tow [sic] the line for 2009 that it was improper for me to take a raise," Mandel said.

"I don't think it's reasonable given the times and the state of the economy." (More)

(Gratuitous aside: "Tow the line"? Hardly. It's "toe the line." Journos, get a clue. Or a dictionary. Or something.)

[jklymak]

^ Right so if you want a city half as poorly planned as Edmonton, shelling out $40k a year for a councillor shouldn't be that big a deal...

[Sue Woods]

As much as I find the six buck and hour policy distasteful, I agree it's a moot point as I would be very surprised to learn of any youth earning that low of a wage. There might be one or two stores that managed to briefly con a teen into accepting six dollars but I doubt it. The kid would wise up in a few days when they found out every other place in the city is hiring at around the $8 to $10 range for entry-level. Uh, to get this thread back on track...council pay raise good.

I apologize for getting this thread off track - but my comments were challenged so I needed to back them up. I had no proof for Holden West that its being done anywhere today (as opposed to six years ago) just proof that it is still on the books. Case closed.

[concorde]

[quote name='Sue Woods']The benefit of p/t casual is that the employer is not required to pay benefits or commit to miminum wage until they have been in the workforce for 500 hours. See legislation posted below.QUOTE]

No employer is required to pay benefits other than a portion of CPP and EI benefits. So I am confused, where is the savings for part time versus full time?

Since we are on the subject of benefits, city council didn't used to get any benefits such as a pension, medical, dental, etc. Absolutely nothing. Has that changed?

[Caramia]

The union of BC Municipalities has a benefits plan which councilors can access.

[Holden West]

Reported in the Colonist, April 7, 1908:

Victoria Mayor's salary, $1,760
Alderman [Councillor]: $370 (ten Aldermen)

For comparison, the same day a four bedroom one bathroom house off Fort St. was offered for sale for $4,350.

I don't know if you could compare the workload then with today, though.

[G-Man]

If housing and the Mayor's salary rose at the same rate, we should be paying the Mayor 176 000 bucks a year. The Councillors are almost exactly in line, if they rose at the same rate it would be 37 000 bucks.

[yodsaker]

I think most people don't begrudge reasonable pay raises for elected officials. Let's be honest most of them put in a ton of hours; every voter thinks his problem should be top of the list.
What turned a lot of people off on this forum and elsewhere is when Lucas revealed that making a beeline for the trough was top of his mind.
No political smarts whatsoever.

[Phil McAvity]

^I expect you could take the word "political" out of that last statement and it would hold up just as well but then I expect a resounding lack of logic from most councillors over the next three years.

[groundlevel]

On a different note -- not sure where to post this -- City Manager Penny Ballantine has just resigned -- very gracious resignation citing the recent death of her husband and the necessity of taking care of herself and her family. Mayor Fortin's acceptance equally gracious.
Very unfortunate for city -- the lady had class, grit and savvy.