Harry Shannon
Background: A story in the paper on March 3 reported that Hamilton (Ontario) city council turned down a proposal to pay various workers a living wage. The vote was 14-4 against.
My letter was just one of three in today’s (March 7) paper criticizing the decision. There was a fourth letter on the topic. It began: ‘A living wage? Why would the city be responsible for paying a living wage to its employees?’ I assumed it was being sarcastic. But reading further, I realized I was wrong. The author opposed paying workers the living wage rate! Still, here is my letter (though the second sentence was edited out of the printed paper):
Re: Council rejects call for living wage to some workers (March 3)
I was disgusted that 14 Hamilton councillors voted down a move to give some city workers a raise from minimum wage, $14 an hour, to a living wage, $16.45 an hour. True, not all of those workers are totally reliant on this money, but I suspect quite a few are.
According to the report, ‘Terry Whitehead said it shouldn’t be “on the dime” of taxpayers to pay for his “children to go to school”’. It’s not. But it is on the dime of taxpayers to pay all city workers for the work they do.
I have a challenge for the 14 opposing councillors. Live for a short period of time, maybe 6 months, on the current minimum wage for 40 hours a week and do so publicly, so we can all see how you cope and be sure you aren’t cheating.
Now I’d be willing to make it easier for you. You could take a few hundred dollars with you to help you get started with your rent, but you’d have to pay it back from your wages.
Also, because you’d be losing your privacy for a while, I’d even let you have the $16.45-an-hour you’re opposing!
I look forward to seeing the line-up of councillors who accept the challenge.