ILWU Canada members support raising Canada’s federal minimum wage, including ILWU Canada President Rob Ashton, seen here with microphone.
On Wednesday, September 27, International Longshore and Warehouse Union Canada members held a demonstration in East Vancouver, British Columbia, calling on the NDP to honour its commitment to lift the minimum wage to $15 per hour in its first term in office.
“We were promised a $15 an hour minimum wage to raise the lowest paid workers above the poverty line by 2021 by the B.C. NDP before they became government and now we expect them to act on that promise as soon as possible,” ILWU Canada president Rob Ashton said in a news release.
A young ILWU member, Danielle Burgess, said in the same news release that she spent a decade in the restaurant industry earning the minimum wage—and, at times, less than that. It left her scrambling to cover her rent.
“A fair minimum wage is something I believe every human deserves to have,” Burgess declared. “Security in life is something that is so important—$15 an hour is a start to helping people get on their feet, and I am proud to help fight like hell for them to achieve it.”
B.C. Federation of Labour president Irene Lanzinger emceed the event, which included the Labour Community Choir performing the “Fight for 15” song.