Administration will go against their own advice to council when it comes to making Thunder Bay a living wage employer.
Only Red River’s Brian McKinnon voted against a motion to include the Thunder Bay Living Wage data in the annual salary report for the non-affiliated employee group, and establish a bargaining mandate for impacted union groups.
City staff advised against the joining the campaign, instead they vowed to review the living wage data annually.
The report (starting on page 97) indicated that there are no immediate financial implications to join the living wage campaign at the partner level because the rates of pay for all direct full-time employees already exceeds $16.30 per hour.
However the estimated cost to achieve living wage status for all part-time, casual and relief employees at the Leader level is $584,156, which represents a wage increase of 8.7%.
Making the city a living wage employer would impact 267 full-time permanent employees including fitness attendants, crossing guards and concession workers.
