Living Wage for Families Campaign Submission to the BC Fair Wages Commission

The Living Wage for Families Campaign advocates for employers to sign on to pay a living wage to all direct and contract service staff as well as does policy advocacy on issues that impact working families. Since 2008, we have partnered with the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives to calculate the living wage in Metro Vancouver. Additionally, we support 20 communities across BC in calculating a local living wage. The living wage is a bare bones calculation that, through a methodology established in consultation with academics, employers, and low-wage workers, determines how much a family needs to earn to meet their expenses in a particular region. Living wages across BC vary from $20.62/hr in the lower mainland to $18.77 in Revelstoke to $15.90 in the Fraser Valley. There is no community in BC that has a living wage that is lower than $15/hr.