City to study living wage proposal for municipal contract workers
Posted Feb 19, 2010 By Desmond Devoy
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Tweet ThisEMC News - What should have been a quick decision to study the issue of a living wage at Ottawa city council last week instead dragged into an hour-long debate between councillors who felt that the city couldn't afford such a policy, versus councillors who felt that the city's working poor couldn't afford not to have it.
Ultimately, the measure on the living wage was cleaved off from the rest of "Ottawa's Poverty Reduction Strategy - Poverty Affects Us All: A Community Approach to Poverty Reduction," - which was passed as a whole - and voted on separately.
The motion to study having a living wage policy through the city government was passed 14 votes to 7.
In introducing the measure at the council meeting on Thursday, Feb. 10, Ward 10 Gloucester-Southgate councillor Diane Deans explained that proponents of the living wage were "not seeking a council decision today on a living wage," but merely wanted city staff to go off and study the issue and report back in a timely manner.
(While the provincial minimum wage will jump from $9.50 to $10.25 an hour on Wednesday, March 31, a "living wage," would be set at about $13.50 an hour for contract workers at the City of Ottawa under the proposal.)
"I understand it is just research and looking up options," said Ward 22 Gloucester-South Nepean councillor Steve Desroches. "I think this would add cost to the City of Ottawa."
From his perspective, "our tax system is regressive (and) I don't think that this is the best way to go about it."
Councillors who supported the plan, however, appeared shocked that the notion of even studying the idea was being challenged.
"I shouldn't think that my colleagues around this table would be so fearful of having a discussion about this," said Ward 7 Bay councillor Alex Cullen. "This idea is worth exploring more. We need to have more research before we proceed."
Cullen pointed out that about 120,000 people live below the poverty line in Ottawa and that about 50,000 of those people "are living on minimum wage. They are not on welfare or ODSP (Ontario Disability Support Program) recipients...They are working people."
He also pointed out that the average rent for a two bedroom apartment in Ottawa costs about $940, and that two people living "on minimum wage can't afford the rent on an average apartment."
"I cannot believe that we would not contemplate holding a debate," added Cullen.
While some councillors expressed reservations about a living wage, they wanted to see more information on the impact such a wage would have on the city government.
"You really can't live on minimum wage. I don't know how they do it every day," said Ward 2 Innes councillor Rainier Bloess. But he noted that if "you change the minimum wage, you wipe out some of those jobs," since some businesses may not be able to afford to pay their workers the higher rate. He added that he wanted to see the facts on the living wage before passing judgment on it.
Of the 16 recommendations in the report, "I think, around the council table, we have broad support for 14 of (the recommendations)," said Ward 9 Knoxdale-Merivale councillor Gord Hunter. He noted that some of the recommendations were "common sense," and "if we haven't done those in the past, then we should have our hands rapped," for not having acted upon them sooner. But his main opposition to the living wage proposal was that "this is not an area of municipal responsibility or jurisdiction...It is the provincial government's responsibility to set the minimum wage. We don't need a third level of government involved."
Ward 19 Cumberland councillor Rob Jellett echoed Hunter's point of view, stating that "this is not our responsibility. It is the provincial government's role. I don't think we should proceed further."
Afterwards, one downtown councillor became upset over what he saw as skewed priorities on council.
"I know that there are some people around this council who would rather build roads than help poor people," said a clearly upset Ward 12 Rideau-Vanier councillor Georges Bedard. "I represent the poorest area of the city of Ottawa. I see the suffering they (the poor) go through on a daily basis,"
He decried what Jellett and Hunter had said about jurisdiction, urging them not to "hide behind jurisdiction...we set wages all the time," at City Hall.
Bedard charged that, by not adopting a living wage policy for contract city workers that council was essentially saying "let's keep them in poverty. That's not acceptable."
Bedard admitted that "I guess I've gone further than I should. But it is out of frustration."
Later in the meeting, Ward 17 Capital councillor Clive Doucet observed that council had just passed a motion providing $200,000 of city money and in-kind support to the Ottawa Senators for their bid to host the National Hockey League's 2012 All-Star game, "in the blink of an eye," but that they did not have "two cents to rub together," for studying a living wage.
Ward 16 River councillor Maria McRae, who had asked to hold the item at the start of the session, was not present in the council chambers when the time came for the vote on the living wage study proposal itself.
OPTIMISTIC
"I'm not surprised," said Barrhaven resident Michelle Walrond of the debate that ensued at council. Walrond is a member of the Vanier-based Ottawa ACORN (Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now), which has been lobbying City Hall for a living wage policy for more than a year. But she added that "I really am optimistic. We've already demonstrated that there is no harm to the city or business. All of the benefits outweigh any detractions."
Walrond added that a living wage "won't make anybody rich," but that with a $13.50 an hour wage "you will be able to pay your rent and food for a month."
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