B.C. unions want $13 minimum wage; meeting with Premier Clark today

VICTORIA – Union leaders are in Victoria today calling on the B.C. government to raise the minimum wage to $13 an hour.

British Columbia Federation of Labour president Jim Sinclair says minimum wage, temporary foreign workers and apprenticeships were on the agenda as labour leaders met yesterday with Shirley Bond, the minister responsible for labour.

More meetings are planned today (Wednesday) with Premier Christy Clark.

B.C.'s current minimum hourly wage was increased to $10.25 in May, 2012, but Sinclair says it still isn't enough to pay monthly bills.

He says unions want the Liberal government to boost the wage to $13 an hour immediately, followed by annually adjusted cost of living increases.

Sinclair says unions will also ask Clark to adjust the current temporary foreign worker program to stop employers from using foreign workers to fill entry-level jobs at the expense of British Columbians entering the workforce.