Raising minimum wage to $15 will help struggling Albertans and boost economy

Edmonton – Alberta’s labour movement is launching a campaign calling on the government to follow through on promises to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour.

The campaign 15 is Fair will be launched at a press conference held at The Local Omnivore, a local restaurant whose ownership and management support increasing the minimum wage to $15. The campaign says increasing the minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2018, as the premier and labour minister have vowed to do, would help Albertans who are struggling, and could boost the economy by putting money in the pockets of those who are likeliest to spend it.

“During the last election campaign, the NDP won in part because Albertans overwhelmingly supported their promise to raise the minimum wage,” Alberta Federation of Labour president Gil McGowan said. “While there are vested interests campaigning loudly against the minimum wage, there’s a quiet majority who support the idea that workers should be paid fairly, and who aren’t being heard in this debate. We want them to be heard.”

The campaign is launching a website with an online letter-writing tool that encourages Albertans to support the minimum wage to write to their MLA to show their support for minimum wages.

“If someone is working full-time, they should not be below the poverty line,” McGowan said. “Anyone earning less than $15 an hour lives below the poverty line. It’s a reality for hundreds of thousands of Albertans.”

Who: 15 Is Fair Campaign
Where: Local Omnivore Restaurant (10933 120 St NW, Edmonton)
When: 10:30 a.m. Friday, June 17

MEDIA CONTACT:
Olav Rokne, Communications Director, Alberta Federation of Labour at 780.218.4351 (cell) or via e-mail orokne@afl.org.