The group known as “Fight for Fifteen and Fairness Halifax” has gotten a makeover.
The workers advocacy organization has rebranded as “Justice for Workers Nova Scotia.”
With the name change, the group has updated its demands as well.
One of the new demands is a $20 minimum wage, Spokesperson Suzanne MacNeil says.
“In the earlier years of this campaign… we would hear ‘$15! Wow, that is really unrealistic; that’s way too much,’” MacNeil says. “The conversation has definitely shifted. A couple of years ago, we started hearing things like ‘Sure, I’m definitely going to sign this petition. I really believe our minimum wage needs to be higher, but I don’t think $15 is enough.’”
These changes come after a report from the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives estimated a living wage in Nova Scotia between $22.05 in Halifax to $18.45 in Cape Breton Regional Municipality.
In addition to higher minimum wage, the updated demands include 10 legislated permanent paid sick days, stronger enforcement of labour standards, a simplified process for joining a union, and justice for migrant workers.
Pandemic pressures and the provincial purview
While the group has always advocated for paid sick days, MacNeil says, they’ve chosen to push for 10 legislated days of paid sick leave — as opposed to the previous demand of seven — because of the pandemic.
“When the pandemic first started, different supports were announced, we had CERB and stuff, ” She says. “But at this stage, when a lot of the public supports have run out, but the pandemic is still an issue…it’s a major workplace health and safety issue.”
The pandemic also pushed the group to expand its focus by halting in-person events and community forums, MacNeil says.
However, she sees it as an opportunity for people all across the province to become involved.
“We wanted to, in this name change, reflect the fact that these demands are provincial in nature,” she says. “…We’re going to be looking at how we can have organizing that takes place across the province.”
Fight for 15 not a failure
In November, a petition by the group, then known as “Fight for 15 and Fairness Halifax,” was presented to the Nova Scotia Legislature by NDP labour critic and MLA for Cape Breton Centre-Whitney Pier, Kendra Coombes.
“Each one of those signatures [on the petition for $15 minimum wage] represented a conversation with somebody,” Says MacNeil.”
Even though $15/hour isn’t considered a living wage anymore, she says it’s still an important step on the way to a more adequate minimum wage.
The provincial minimum wage is set to rise this spring, after a recommendation from the Nova Scotia Minimum Wage Review Committee in January of 2022.
It will increase from $12.95 to $13.35 an hour on April 1.
The committee is also suggesting additional increases to $13.60 on October 1 and a path to $15 by 2024.
