Don’t complain to me

Yesterday the Canadian Federation of Labour organized a protest in downtown Toronto.  The purpose was to demand that the government raise the minimum wage to $14 an hour.  It is presently $10.25 and is scheduled to rise to $11 an hour this April.

Sid Ryan, the head of the CFL, in an interview, pointed out that $11 an hour equates to a wage that is 3% below the poverty level.   Boo hoo.

Sid, try this on for size: My Canada Pension, when converted to an hourly rate based on an 8 hour work day, is $6.25 an hour. So, how far below the poverty level does that put me?  Yet I have the same expenses as those people out protesting.  I would love to have a pension equivalent to $10.25 an hour.  Have you given any thought to people who aren’t members of your Federation?  Perhaps you could speak up for them. Oh wait – they’re retired, so you don’t care about them, do you?

To those out protesting, my pension is 60% of what you’re currently earning.  So don’t complain to me.  If I had your income, I’d consider myself very well off.

Cat.