Employment Minister Thomas Lukaszuk says he wants to link Alberta’s minimum wage with the those in B.C. and Saskatchewan.
Lukaszuk, who says the next Alberta minimum wage hike is coming shortly, told reporters Wednesday that it may take some time to standardize the wages of the three westernmost provinces, but he would like to at least have Alberta’s minimum wage based on the same parameters as its neighbours.
He said the move would benefit companies that do work in all three provinces and have to deal with different rates rising at different intervals, despite the provincial economies being so similar.
But the comments drew immediate fire from both the NDP and the Canadian Federation of Independent Business.
Noting B.C.’s minimum wage is lower than Alberta’s, New Democrat MLA Rachel Notley expressed concern Alberta wants to link with the lowest rate while the CFIB’s Richard Truscott was concerned Alberta might hike wages to achieve parity with Saskatchewan.
Alberta’s minimum wage of $8.80 per hour is above only B.C.’s $8 wage, and below Saskatchewan’s $9.25 minimum.
However, B.C. is hiking its minimum wage to $8.75 on May 1, to $9.50 on Nov. 1 and to $10.25 in May 2012.
Notley said she would be concerned with any move that would link Alberta’s wage with a province that has the lowest minimum wage in the nation.
Six provinces have a minimum wage higher than Saskatchewan.
Lukaszuk said he plans to give Alberta employers three months’ notice of the next rate so they can adjust their budgets, but Truscott said six months’ notice would be better.
