* The following is a letter to the editor (Calgary Herald) from Susan Brooke and Joe Ceci of Calgary Social Workers for Social Justice
Re: Pay Day, Increasing minimum wage won’t help Alberta’s poor - editorial Calgary Herald, September 10, 2012
The recent Herald editorial missed the mark when it concentrated largely on the specifics of those earning minimum wage rather than considering the lot of all low-wage workers in our province. The editorial also selectively trotted out the old clichés about the demographics of minimum wage earners, failing to recognize the fact that many of these workers are not simply youth working for pocket money or job experience. Many minimum wage earners are over the age of 25, and working to support their families. The minimum wage certainly has a gender dimension too. Overall, though, minimum wage or not, the evidence suggests that wages by themselves are no guarantee that working people will not face the social exclusions caused by the daily grind of poverty.
Therefore, if we are to deal with poverty we need to address it in a comprehensive manner. Certainly, wages have a necessary place in this broad ranging approach. However so do adequate childcare, affordable housing, income replacement programs and job re-training. Simply put, the elimination of poverty requires a combination of approaches if it is to be successful and sustainable.
Finally, while minimum wage may be paid to less than two percent of Albertans they are our fellow citizens and are deserving of social policy and economic respect.
*The following is a guest post from Timothy Wild, RSW
Recently Dan Meades, the urbane, brilliant and generally witty Executive Director of Vibrant Communities Calgary, was taken to task by the editorial board of The Calgary Herald for his suggestion that the risible September increase in Alberta’s minimum wage would not “have an impact on poverty rates in the province”. The Herald, following their typical free market ideological line, suggested that Alberta’s workers have the “highest income in the nation” and that only 2% of working Albertans worked for the minimum wage, adding that many of that particular cohort of low paid workers were young people working for job experience and / or pocket money. As if 2% of the population isn’t worthy of attention…but ironically, on the other hand, the economic wellbeing and ongoing enrichment of the 1% is! Anyway, to back up this assertion, the almost daily newspaper quoted a representative of Alberta Human Services who suggested “a lot of minimum wage earners are young dependents, living at home, working at the mall”. Overall, The Herald cautioned its gentle readers that a meaningful increase in the minimum wage would lead to job loss and fewer opportunities. It would not lead to a reduction in poverty in our province. Yawn!
Sadly, the content, direction and thrust of the editorial are hardly surprising. But once again the piece about the minimum wage failed to put the issue into a meaningful context. It also downplayed the demographic profile of minimum wage earners. For example, more than 50% of people working for minimum wage are over the age of 25, and many of these workers are women employed in the service sector of the economy, enjoying few – if any – benefits. And if you do actually go to “the mall”, look at the workers in the food courts (especially the people cleaning the tables and mopping the floors). There you will see the older, female and New Canadian face of the service economy. Chat with them as I have and you will find that many of these workers are trying to meet the daily basic costs of living – food, shelter and clothing. That, my friends, is the face of the 2% that is so cavalierly dismissed by the newspaper and the provincial government.
Furthermore, it bears emphasizing that minimum wage earners are just one section of a wide array of lower paid members of the postindustrial working class who fail to earn a decent / viable wage. Even the Living Wage only aspires to bring wages up to the equivalent of a poverty level income for a single person; the adequacy of the income for a family is not even a consideration. All told the legitimate concerns surrounding the practicality and functionality of the minimum wage reflect just the tip of the low-wage iceberg. But the editorialists of The Calgary Herald dismissed (or, I will be generous, overlooked) these legitimate concerns and broader public policy dimensions.
I guess the basic point is that ideology aside full-time employment is no guarantee of meaningful social inclusion. Wages themselves are no guarantee that workers and their families will not experience the bitter sting of preventable poverty. Minimum wages, Living Wages and wages even slightly above Statistics Canada’s Low Income Cut Off lines (but below the incomes suggested by the more realistic Core Needs Income Thresholds) are no guarantee that the worker and her family will be able to participate meaningfully in society.
But what could guarantee this inclusion, choices and participation? Well, decent wages can certainly be an important part but they have to be aggregated as just one part of a comprehensive poverty elimination strategy. Income from employment must be augmented with, for example, accessible quality and affordable childcare, educational opportunities for people of all ages, job retraining schemes and the provision of affordable housing. And for those unable to participate in the traditional work-income nexus, there must be adequate programs of income replacement such as AISH, EI and WCB. That is how wages fit with the development of a comprehensive social policy framework aimed at eliminating poverty. It can be done; we just have to show the political will.
When it comes right down to it, it may be “just” 2% of the workforce. It may “only” be 30,000 or so workers. But I don’t actually care about the actual numbers. I am more interested in justice for each and every Albertan, because when it comes right down to it – as the phrase goes – “an injury to one is an injury to all”.
Vibrant Communities Calgary is in favour of secondary suites across Calgary and we have been very vocal in our support. The result of this vocal endorsement of an important policy decision has prompted many people to get in touch with VCC about secondary suites in their neighbourhoods.
The majority of citizens who have contacted VCC have been in support of suites; this is no surprise as every survey conducted indicates that an overwhelming number of Calgarians are in favour. We also heard from people who are firmly opposed to legalizing secondary suites in their neighbourhoods; it was great to hear from people who are opposed as the entrenchment on this issue had us baffled. The staunch attitudes were particularly difficult to comprehend after attending the public hearing at committee where not only support for suites was overwhelming but so was the evidence in favour of secondary suites.
Publicly, we have all heard the arguments against secondary suites – parking, property value, higher density stressing infrastructure – and systematically these concerns have been disproven with evidence. Out of the public eye, the concerns take on a different approach and one that compels me to shed some light on the root of the opposition.
Behind closed doors, we hear opponents to secondary suites tell us that they have worked hard to be able to afford a home in their R1 zoned neighbourhoods and that they do not want to have to put up with the perceived problems that secondary suite renters bring with them. It can be true that people who rent do so because they cannot afford to purchase a home and it is also true that some renters may be living in low-income. One is not hard-pressed to reach the conclusion that the root of the secondary suites issue lies here - people opposed to secondary suites are telling us that they should not need to live near people that have been less fortunate and are potentially living in poverty.
This kind of thinking is a dangerous path to follow for a city. Would we tell any other group of people in this city that they are not welcome in certain areas? Sorry… you may not live in that neighbourhood, your kind is not welcome.
If this is indeed the case, that people do not want secondary suites made legal in their neighbourhoods because they do not want to allow people living in poverty in their neighbourhoods, then we have some very tough questions to ask ourselves: is Calgary the sort of city that responds to rhetoric and unsubstantiated fear or is it a city that relies on facts and evidence to make decisions?
I believe in Calgarians. We will not buy into antiquated and elitist thinking – Calgary is a city that embraces diversity and inclusivity and I retain the hope that we will collectively stand against attitudes and decisions that push us in any other direction.
Saying no to secondary suites won’t address the root cause of the problem. I leave you with this thought, if you don’t want people living in poverty in your neighbourhood I say great - lets work together to end poverty.
Vibrant Communities Calgary is a non-profit organization that works collaboratively with various stakeholders and partners, seeking to engage Calgarians and to advocate for long-term strategies that address the root causes of poverty in Calgary. For more information on this initiative or Vibrant Communities Calgary, visit www.vibrantcalgary.com.
*updated post from September 8
The leadership race began with the first ballot September 17 (narrowing the field to the top 3) and continues with the second ballot on October 1. We know that many of you plan to vote on October 1 and that you care about reducing poverty in the province. We are re-posting responses about a poverty reduction strategy from the 3 top candidates in the race to help inform your decision.
In Calgary on Wednesday, September 8 at the Progressive Conservative leadership forum, candidates vying for the job of Alberta’s next premier, at least until the next provincial election, were asked the following: “Many of you have failed to commit to implementing a Provincial Poverty Reduction Strategy; what do you say to the 400,000 Albertans currently living in poverty who need your help?”
We have drafted our ideal response to the question above and have summarized the candidates’ responses below. You can also watch the video from the forum; the Poverty Reduction Strategy question and responses start at 123:25.
When we compare about our ideal response with the candidates’ responses, there was a clear difference among the candidates. No one gave a perfect answer of course but it was clear that some are closer than others to grasping the urgency and importance of implementing a poverty reduction strategy for the province. We hope that this has been helpful in illuminating where the candidates stand on poverty reduction in the province and that it is helpful in your decision-making.
Elements of our ideal response would contain all of the following:
Candidates’ Responses In Order they Answered:
Gary Mar:
Mar suggested that we can create employability and circumstances where people can be on medications for mental illness and substance abuse, IF they have homes. “You can’t deal with the issue of poverty until you deal with some core issues like homelessness.” Mar then focused his comments on the Aboriginal population indicating that they lead in many areas that they do not want to, including poverty.
Allison Redford:
Redford committed a succinct “yes” to a poverty reduction strategy as a very specific policy that has been adopted by every other province. She indicated that a poverty reduction strategy helps government think differently about social policy to ensure we are reducing poverty for people living in poverty. She sees importance in integrated planning around housing, education, mental illness, addictions and the justice system. She concluded her comments by saying “lets not be afraid to call it…a poverty reduction strategy and I am committed to that”.
Doug Horner:
Horner says that a poverty reduction strategy needs to be adopted by all departments of government to stop silo thinking in the same way that was done with the Homelessness strategy. He also indicated that it is not enough that “we just put in a home” – the government needs to implement an Alberta Mental Health Strategy and to ensure that there are opportunities for training and education that are properly resourced so that we maximize the return.
By: Cesar Agudelo
When I was in school one of my biggest worries was fitting in and that involved asking my parents for the latest fashion items and the coolest backpack. At the time, it seemed like the biggest disappointment to hear my parents say “no, we can’t afford that, don’t worry about the other kids, all you have to worry about is doing well in school.” Year after year all my basic school needs were met. I know now how lucky I was and that my stress was nothing compared to the stress that my parents went through during back to school shopping.
In Alberta, the richest province in one of the richest nations (one that has survived the economic downturn largely unscathed) is home to many students who can’t worry solely about school. These are students living in households with parents who work for poverty wages. And, unlik3e me who complained needlessly, these kids have to silently endure not having what others have.
Maria, mother of three, immigrated from Peru. Her actions speak for themselves: she works full-time and studies full-time, raises three children and is adapting to Canada. Her husband, Victor, also contributes with part-time work and part-time studies, and is learning a new language, English. This dynamic, studious duo of dedicated parents is something to admire.
But they can’t save for their future. They are not prepared for unforeseen circumstances.
Back to school, to them, means number crunching.
Back to school is one of the most expensive seasons for any family. Gone are the days when schools provided students with all the resources. Now, parents are either given a supply list or they come up with one of their own. But as frugal and money conscious as parents may be, the bill can still add up to an uncomfortable amount.
Based on the supply list for a grade 3 student in a Catholic school in the NE, school materials alone cost $103.10 per student. Based on another list from a public school, the cost of supplies can be $113.
Add to that the need for new clothes – kids grow fast, you see – and that’s $125 for one pair of jeans, an eight pack of underwear, a five pack of socks, three t-shirts, one fall coat, one pair of outdoor runners and a back pack.
Without asking for anything fancy, a kid’s basic school needs can cost over two hundred dollars. Add to that school fees and character building activities like band and sports, and you could be looking at five hundred dollars for one child.
For a family like Maria’s, five hundred dollars is not a small amount and definitely not something to be disposed of as casually as buying an upgraded version of your current iPhone. The well educated, hard-working full-time employee/full-time student can barely muster $3,000 a month, even with the combined income of her husband and the Child Tax Benefit. Her disposable income after rent, food, credit card, internet and public transit, is a mere $505 that she somehow has to distribute among her three children’s school needs, one of which is in the school band. She can’t even afford to buy the grocery products sold at her work.
Luckily for Maria and her family, there is help. One of the schools her children attend provides them with most materials and sometimes with clothes. Sometimes, and at the discretion of the school principal, the fees may be waived. Calgary also boasts a healthy service sector full of charities that give families such as Maria’s a helping hand. Yet, all the help and assistance doesn’t take away the fact that Maria cannot save for her family’s future or for an unforeseen circumstances.
The ability to save for the future is more than building toward your dream retirement; it means being able to handle whatever the future throws at you: braces for the children, eye ware, accidents, emergency trips, etc. The power to survive unforeseen circumstances without being worse off at the end can mean the difference between poverty and extreme poverty, a home and homelessness.
These are the basic numbers and issues faced by Maria and other families working for poverty wages. And these numbers don’t tell the full story. Hard-working parents in Calgary and Alberta often juggle to find quality time for their children. Sometimes they feel the pressure of circumstances out of their control; in Maria’s case, the gentrification of her neighbourhood, Bowness. Regular working families always face a complex web of needs and outside forces that put a strain on their finances and their families. Maria and her husband struggle because they don’t make a Living Wage. If they did, the picture would look a lot different; for one, it would be less stressful.
“My husband and I try to keep the stress over money away from the children, but we know it affects them,” says Maria. What can be done to provide her with financial stability? She could get a second job, but then she can’t study, thus ruining her chances of upward mobility, let alone quality time with her family.
Whatever the solution, Maria’s is an example of how poverty wages can put a family in danger of extreme poverty and the children in a stressful environment.
Awareness of what families on poverty wages go through should raise more than sympathy, it should prompt us to find reasonable solutions and take meaningful action. Initiatives such as the “Living Wage” advocated by Vibrant Communities Calgary aims to find permanent, meaningful and empowering solutions for Calgary’s working poor.
In an era of government cutbacks we can hardly expect schools to again foot the bill for supplies. Charities don’t seem to be a permanent solution either. Education is a powerful enabler, but to get it you need time and money, two things in short supply for people on poverty wages. Other services to help people in need come from the taxpayers’ pockets. In essence, paying a poverty wage is forcing a whole community to cover the cost of poverty.
People like Maria obviously have what it takes to succeed and she knows it. That is why she works hard and studies at the same time. Perhaps the answer lies within her; the solution is in the people going through the hardships. All that Calgary needs to do is give them the tools.
Vibrant Communities Calgary believes in the strength and power of people. We know for a fact that the people who struggle are not lazy, don’t lack the will, and work hard for their futures and their families. In short, they practice the values that make a city like Calgary so great. However, despite their efforts, they don’t have the financial tools to get ahead.
Enter Living Wage. In Calgary a Living Wage means $12.50 with benefits and $13.75 without. By having businesses as Living Wage Leaders and with the City of Calgary adopting Living Wage policies, we can ensure that hard-working families like Maria’s have the power to comfortably cover school costs, continuing education, and basic necessities.
Paying the Living Wage alone won’t completely insulate families from unforeseen circumstances, but it does mean they have more room to manoeuvre, and that can make all the difference. This in turn reduces how much taxpayers have to pay for poverty related issues such as homelessness and crime.
By leading the way with Living Wages, businesses and governments can greatly contribute to reducing the ills that come with poverty, and hopefully take us to a future where children do a lot more needless complaining which parents can safely ignore knowing that all their basic needs are covered.
A future where parents can confidently tell their children, “Stop that! Now, go back to your school work. It’s the only thing that you should worry about. “
Cesar Agudelo
Living Wage Action Team
In Calgary on Wednesday night at the Progressive Conservative leadership forum, candidates vying for the job of Alberta’s next premier, at least until the next provincial election, were asked the following: “Many of you have failed to commit to implementing a Provincial Poverty Reduction Strategy; what do you say to the 400,000 Albertans currently living in poverty who need your help?”
The leadership race is coming to a close soon, with the vote on September 17 and we know that many of you plan to vote for the next leader of the party and that you care about reducing poverty in the province; in order to help inform your decision, we have drafted our ideal response to the question above and have summarized the candidates’ responses below. You can also watch the video from Wednesday night; the Poverty Reduction Strategy question and responses start at 123:25.
When we compare about our ideal response with the candidates’ responses, there was a clear difference among the candidates. No one gave a perfect answer of course but it was clear that some are closer than others to grasping the urgency and importance of implementing a poverty reduction strategy for the province. We hope that this has been helpful in illuminating where the candidates stand on poverty reduction in the province and that it is helpful in your decision-making.
Elements of our ideal response would contain all of the following:
Candidates’ Responses In Order they Answered:
Gary Mar:
Mar suggested that we can create employability and circumstances where people can be on medications for mental illness and substance abuse, IF they have homes. “You can’t deal with the issue of poverty until you deal with some core issues like homelessness.” Mar then focused his comments on the Aboriginal population indicating that they lead in many areas that they do not want to, including poverty.
Rick Orman:
Orman believes that it is incumbent on government to continue to support the Homeless Foundations in Calgary and Edmonton. As Premier, Orman would bring Aboriginal Affairs into the premier’s office as a Secretariat, to address poverty, homelessness, and joblessness. In order to continue developing the oil sands he would engage with First Nations and take full responsibility on the outcome.
Doug Griffiths:
Griffiths has committed to a Provincial Poverty Reduction Strategy but that it must be meaningful and not just “a headline”. He indicated that he liked the announcement of a 100 million dollars to end homelessness as much as anyone else but that funding is not the answer to solving these kinds of problems – “if that’s all it took we should have done it 20 years ago”. A Strategy must break down silos and barriers. And, it is not only the government’s responsibility to reduce poverty; every single Albertan has a responsibility to do so.
Ted Morton:
Morton began by stating that he believes in a “hand-up not a hand-out”. He wants to “bring back the Alberta advantage”, grow the economy, and create jobs, since “the best thing to reduce poverty is a job”. He indicated that fiscal responsibility and balanced budgets were important to keep supporting initiatives like the homeless strategy, the need to focus on Aboriginals because the population is over-represented in poverty, and in keeping social service for drug addiction and mental health. “Those are the drivers of poverty”.
Allison Redford:
Redford committed a succinct “yes” to a poverty reduction strategy as a very specific policy that has been adopted by every other province. She indicated that a poverty reduction strategy helps government think differently about social policy to ensure we are reducing poverty for people living in poverty. She sees importance in integrated planning around housing, education, mental illness, addictions and the justice system. She concluded her comments by saying “lets not be afraid to call it..a poverty reduction strategy and I am committed to that”.
Doug Horner:
Horner says that a poverty reduction strategy needs to be adopted by all departments of government to stop silo thinking in the same way that was done with the Homelessness strategy. He also indicated that it is not enough that “we just put in a home” – the government needs to implement an Alberta Mental Health Strategy and to ensure that there are opportunities for training and education that are properly resourced so that we maximize the return.
Letter to the Editor
August 23, 2011
We have been following the leadership races of the Progressive Conservatives and the Alberta Liberals very closely and we notice that there has been little discussion about poverty in our province. Based on Statistics Canada data, we know that there are nearly 400,000 Albertans living in poverty. We should be clear that poverty measures reflect bare minimum standard of living, even at or above this cut-off, many Albertans are facing rising costs while salaries are not keeping pace. Albertans living in poverty are over-represented among women, children, new immigrants, people with disabilities and aboriginals. It is our responsibility to ensure that everyone in this province has the support and opportunity to prosper. As we know, poverty can happen to anyone and the province must play a role in reducing poverty by searching for root cause solutions.
In October of 2010, the all-party Standing Committee on the Economy unanimously recommended that the province undertake the process to create a Provincial Poverty Reduction Strategy. The committee was motivated to unanimously pass this recommendation because of the overwhelming evidence demonstrating the depth of poverty in Alberta and the stories they heard from Albertans living in poverty. Albertans presented their stories about working very hard to meet basic needs for themselves and their families but their wages are falling short and they are not getting the supports they need from social programs. While no response from the Ministry of Employment and Immigration has been been made on this recommendation, many Albertans believe that a provincial government willing to tackle the root causes of poverty makes good sense.
We wonder where these leadership candidates stand on developing a Provincial Poverty Reduction Strategy? The candidates in these races are likely to produce the next Premier and the Leader of the Opposition - we hope they will move quickly to address the Standing Committee on the Economy’s recommendation for a Provincial Poverty Reduction Strategy. Then Alberta will join most of the other provinces and territories in Canada who have already taken this important first step. Many municipalities are also accepting responsibility to reduce poverty, including Calgary, but it cannot be done without support and commitment from the province.
Alexa Briggs, Associate Director Strategy and Research, Vibrant Communities Calgary
Joe Ceci, Coordinator, Action to End Poverty in Alberta
Linda McFarlane, ASCW Calgary Social Action/Social Justice Group
Today is a sad day for all Canadians. The death of Jack Layton hit us all hard: we all work each day to make Canada better; we all work to ensure that there is positive change in our great country and that the change created serves all Canadians. This sadness is not about politics, it is not about ideology, and it is not about partisanship. Whenever someone, who is willing to stand up with respect for their opponents and debate the important issues of the day with passion and thoughtfulness, ceases to do so - we all feel the loss. To me that is what Jack Layton stood for. He gave voice to the voiceless, he stood up and spoke on behalf of the most vulnerable Canadians, and no matter what party you belong to, or if like me you belong to no party at all, you must realize that an amazing Canadian voice for equality was lost today.
For those of us who care deeply about poverty and work tirelessly to banish it from Canada, there can be no doubt that our jobs became a little harder today; but in my view they became all the more important. Jack’s strong voice in Ottawa could always be counted upon to raise the issue of poverty and ensure that the voices of Canadians living in poverty were heard. He was a giant, and his shoes are too big for any person to fill alone; we all must work together to fill the void left in the Canadian political discourse today.
In this time of sadness for the loss of a Canadian who inspired hope, we can honour him in no better way than to carry on his passion for this country and for continuing to work towards a country that is great for all. As Jack said himself in his letter to Canadians, released today after his death, “My friends, love is better than anger. Hope is better than fear. Optimism is better than despair. So let us be loving, hopeful and optimistic. And we’ll change the world.“
Dan Meades
Director, Vibrant Communities Calgary
The Progressive Conservative Party and the Alberta Liberal Party are currently holding leadership races and you can be involved in selecting the leaders of these provincial parties. You can be a member of multiple provincial parties, which means you can participate in selecting the leader for both parties.
**PC Leadership Race
Advance Poll:
September 13
Voting Date:
September 17
Eligibility to Vote:
Purchase a membership ($5) any time up until day of vote.
Ways to Vote and Vote Location:
In person, at poll locations to be advertised in newspaper by constituency.
Candidates:
Doug Griffiths
Doug Horner
Gary Mar
Ted Morton
Rick Orman
Allison Redford
Upcoming Forums in Calgary:
August 28, 2011
September 7, 2011
**Liberal Leadership Race
Voting Date:September 5 - 10, 2011
Eligibility to Vote:
Register support for the party or purchase a membership ($5)
Ways to Vote and Vote Location:
1. If you are a supporter or member by August 19 you vote online or by telephone.
2. If you are a supporter or member after August 19 but before September 6 you vote in person at the convention in Edmonton or at a remote location (TBD).
Candidates:
Laurie Blakeman
Bill Harvey
Hugh MacDonald
Bruce Payne
Raj Sherman
Upcoming Forums in Calgary:
None announced
Alberta’s coffers – and its social programs – are suffering because our government has failed to collect its share of oilsands revenue, says political scientist Regan Boychuk.
Boychuk has presented his work on “Artificial Austerity: The Oilpatch and Poverty in Alberta” several times this year, most recently on June 8th for Women Together Ending Poverty (WTEP). If you haven’t seen it or gone through the powerpoint yet, it is well worth your time. Here are some key points, drawn from WTEP’s summary of the article:
We welcome any comments and feedback on this topic!