Three more Canadian provinces, Alberta, Nova Scotia and Manitoba, recently announced increases in their minimum wage rates beginning this fall, bringing them in line with a number of other provinces which have announced plans to increase their minimum wage rates this fiscal year or that have already done so.
Alberta
Alberta’s general minimum wage will rise from $8.80 per hour to $9.40 per hour on September 1, 2011. A new minimum wage of $9.05 per hour will be introduced for workers who serve alcohol as part of their regular job, recognizing that these employees also earn tips. The new minimum wage rates represent a 6.8 per cent increase for general workers and a 2.8 per cent increase for liquor servers, the first changes to minimum wage in Alberta since April 2009.
The minimum wage for liquor servers will remain at $9.05 per hour until the general minimum wage reaches $10.05 per hour. From that point on, both wage rates will increase and the $1 differential will be maintained.
Also beginning September 1, government will use a new formula as the basis for decisions about future increases to Alberta’s minimum wage. The new formula will be a simple average of changes to Alberta’s annual average weekly earnings and changes to the Consumer Price Index in Alberta. The previous formula for determining changes was based on Alberta’s average weekly earnings only. Changes would occur September 1 of each year and would be announced with three months’ notice.
Nova Scotia
The minimum wage in Nova Scotia is increasing to $10.00 per hour on October 1, 2011. This is a 3.6 per cent increase from the present rate of $9.65 per hour. The minimum wage for inexperienced workers, with less than three months’ experience in the work for which they were hired, will rise to $9.50 per hour.
After the increase in October, future increases will occur in April, beginning in 2012. This will be done based on the national estimated Consumer Price Index from the previous calendar year which is usually released in January.
Manitoba
Manitoba will also see an increase in the minimum wage to $10.00 per hour on October 1, 2011. The minimum wage rate last increased by 50 cents to $9.50 per hour on October 1, 2010. Prior to that, the minimum wage rate increased by 25 cents on May 1, 2009 and by 25 cents on October 1, 2009. Initially, Manitoba’s Labour Management Review committee recommended three annual increases ending in 2012, but representatives differed on the amounts of the increases. Implementing increases in the minimum wage in phases is an effective way to accommodate competing interests.
Compliance Poster Company has All-On-One™ labor law posters for Alberta, Nova Scotia and Manitoba featuring their current minimum wage rates. Posters with the new minimum wage rates will be available in time for the upcoming effective dates.