CREDIT: SAM_WONG / THINKSTOCK
This is all the money you likely won't have working for minimum wage.

Minimum wage is a depressing indicator that your employer is paying you the lowest amount they legally can. Nothing is less motivating than the unspoken words, “I'd pay you less if I could.”

Raising the minimum wage is a subject that arises intermittently, usually when a province or state is implementing an increase. The states of New York and California have set off a firestorm of controversy after declaring their intent to set the minimum wage at $15 per hour. North of the border, the only province to commit to something so drastic has been Alberta, where the NDP have promised $15 per hour by 2018. Here in Ontario, the minimum wage is set to increase at a rate that is determined by the annual increase in the cost of living.

From a pros and cons standpoint, the debate seems to pit employers against employees. Although there are endless examples of employers who are happy to provide their staff with remuneration equal to their value in the company, not many of these employers are paying minimum wage. For a minimum wage earner, the debate boils down to: more money would be pretty sweet, please give me more money. The tricky part is when an employer can't afford the higher wage forcing them to shrink their workforce.

For a young adult renting a room in a house with no car and no dependents, $11.25 per hour is probably plenty of money to pay for rent and groceries. If they're frugal, it's also enough to occasionally get drunk enough to forget how little money they're saving for the future. On the other hand, a young adult with a car, a dependent, or their own apartment, would be hard-pressed to get by.

Everyone grows up with a different idea of what is “essential” to them. In theory, a single person earning minimum wage at a full-time job could provide themselves with food, housing, and transportation. In addition to their basic needs, there would ideally be money remaining to put away for retirement or leisure activities. The issue is that minimum wage jobs are often part-time and offer little in terms of room for advancement.

Canadian treasure and London local Mike Moffat wrote an article in Canadian Business about minimum wage a few years ago that does a phenomenal job of identifying the real factors at play. The argument that raising the minimum wage can lead to layoffs is only true at a certain threshold. The key is to determine what that threshold is.

Moffat's conclusions included a suggested scale for raising the minimum wage in Ontario that topped out at $12.18 by 2018.

In light of the movement to raise the minimum wage to $15 per hour in the U.S., Toronto Star columnist Jennifer Wells concluded that public pressure played a substantial role. Ultimately, the minimum wage is set by the government, and the government is like an 18 year old — they're a sucker for peer pressure. So the next time you hear about a rally to raise minimum wage, it would be worth your time to get involved and let the government know that your time is worth more than the minimum.
Editorial opinions or comments expressed in this online edition of Interrobang newspaper reflect the views of the writer and are not those of the Interrobang or the Fanshawe Student Union. The Interrobang is published weekly by the Fanshawe Student Union at 1001 Fanshawe College Blvd., P.O. Box 7005, London, Ontario, N5Y 5R6 and distributed through the Fanshawe College community. Letters to the editor are welcome. All letters are subject to editing and should be emailed. All letters must be accompanied by contact information. Letters can also be submitted online by clicking here.