City of Quesnel now "Living Wage" Employer

Courtesy of the City of Quesnel:

The City of Quesnel has been designated as a Living Wage Employer under the Living Wage for Families Campaign (“LWFC”). As part of the City of Quesnel’s Strategic Plan, City Council approved submitting a proposed implementation plan to become designated as a living wage employer under the Living Wage for Families Campaign (“LWFC”) in June. The implementation plan was approved during the summer and the City will now complete the steps outlined in the plan, including the approval of the City of Quesnel Living Wage Policy last night. The City of Quesnel is the second municipality in Canada to receive this designation.

A living wage is the hourly wage a family is deemed to need to cover basic expenses which include: food; clothing; rental housing; child care; transportation; and small savings to cover illness or emergencies. This hourly rate is calculated annually by the LWFC, based on the living expenses of a two-parent family with two children with each parent working full-time. The current living wage rate for Quesnel is $16.52/hour. The rate is calculated including benefits.

“Obtaining this designation is part of Council’s commitment to ensure our community thrives during this transition period,” said Quesnel Mayor Bob Simpson. “As we shift from an industrial economy to a more service oriented one, the City can help lead the way by establishing benchmarks which challenge all employers to pay wages that reflect the true costs of living in our community and which also give people the ability to engage more fully in our local economy and social dynamic.”

Employees hired directly by the City of Quesnel will earn at minimum a living wage, with some exemptions for students and social programs. Service contractors hired by the City of Quesnel to perform regular, ongoing work of at least 120 hours per year will only be hired if they agree to pay their employees a living wage. A living wage clause will be included in all future agreements.

The City of Quesnel believes that it is important to demonstrate social responsibility through actions that have a positive impact on the community, City staff and the people it serves. Families should earn an income sufficient for them to pay for the basic necessities of life so that they can live with dignity and participate as active members of our communities.

For more information on the Living Wage for Families Campaign, visit: www.livingwageforfamilies.ca/

To view the City of Quesnel Living Wage Policy, visit: https://quesnel.civicweb.net/filepro/documents/52097 (Policy to be publicly available Thursday)