By Cecilia Nasmith
Cobourg council will investigate becoming a Certified Living Wage Employer, following a presentation at Monday's council meeting by public health nurse Kristina Nairn of the Haliburton Kawartha Pine Ridge District Health Unit.
It's entirely appropriate that a nurse should argue for a living wage, Nairn told council, because those who struggle to cover basic expenses are more likely to have health risks, less likely to have access to services, more likely to suffer from chronic conditions and more likely to die younger.
While the Ontario minimum wage is $14 an hour, she continued, it has been calculated that a living wage in Northumberland County that would cover all the needs of a family – shelter, communications, food, clothing, transportation and health costs – would be $17.95 an hour.
This is based a household with both adults working and raising a family of two children.
Nairn credited the Ontario Living Wage Network for the figures, sharing their philosophy that major employers who are Certified Living Wage Employers are an example to the community that may take root and spread.
Nairn urged the town to consider taking the first step to taking on that role, which involves requesting a report from staff to identify what percentage of their full-time and part-time employees are getting at least a living wage.
“This is a municipality that has shown a keen interest in progressive matters, so I think it's a good place to start and an honourable opportunity,” she said.
The town does employ a certain number of students, Mayor John Henderson pointed out, wondering how they factor into the calculations. Nairn said that they do not because of the short-term nature of their employment.
While Deputy Mayor Suzanne Seguin made a motion to receive the presentation for information purposes, Councillor Nicole Beatty made an amendment to the motion that council passed. It included directing staff to make that report, and to investigate the processes and requirements for certification, with a report back to council for its March 9 meeting.
Seguin pointed out that, to date, it's something only Cambridge has done.
“I know Kingston turned it down,” Seguin said - “I think we have an awful lot on our plate.
“This is an excellent thing for perhaps two years from now, but we have a tremendous amount of work ahead of us. It's wonderful to look at living wages, but to be the first community of 20,000 to take this on with everything else we have going on...”
“I think this is quite timely,” Beatty insisted, referring to council business of the same evening on the subject of affordable housing.
“I'd be interested in how this concept could be applied to the broader community,” Councillor Emily Chorley commented, adding that it is her understanding that municipal employees are already well compensated (with the possible exception of students and councillors).
“We don't have to implement it, but I would like to see a report come back that would have the information to decide on,” Councillor Brian Darling said.
