HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2019-02-14, Page 12PAGE 12. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2019.
Announce your wedding for the community to
celebrate. A newspaper clipping makes a great
memento for your scrapbook and future
generations. Send in a photo of the wedding
couple plus a maximum 300 word write-up.
Just $25 (including HST) (paid in advance).
Your story will appear along with those of other
couples who were married this past year in The
Citizen’s February 28 Wedding Showcase
feature.
Deadline: February 22
Issue date: February 28
YOU DID IT!
Show off those wedding photos
in our Wedding Showcase to be
featured February 28th
with our special Bridal Section.
413 Queen St., Blyth
519-523-4792
541 Turnberry St., Brussels
519-887-9114
The Citizen
Email: info@northhuron.on.ca
United Way says living wage jumped to $17.44
The United Way Perth-Huron
provided significant updates to
Central Huron Council at its Feb. 4
meeting regarding the living wage
calculation and its new data
collection website.
Ken Clarke, a data analyst with the
United Way’s Social Research and
Planning Council, and Erica Clark,
Huron County Health Unit
epidemiologist, presented to council,
illustrating the importance of the
living wage and dispelling myths
around the effect that a living wage
would have on the local economy.
Clark said that a living wage of
$17.44 per hour was established for
Huron and Perth Counties in 2018. A
living wage varies by community,
she told council. Where it might be
nearly $22 per hour in Toronto, it is
even lower than Huron in Waterloo
at just over $16 per hour. The figure,
Clark said, is based on an average
work week of 35 hours based on a
family of four with two vehicles, one
child in school and another in day
care.
The largest amount of monthly
wages, $1,349, is allotted to
childcare, while $1,198 should go
towards housing and related costs.
These are followed by transportation
($1,009), food ($737), insurance
($270), clothing and footwear
($267) and $149 for a typical
communications bundle including
internet, cell phone service and
Netflix. The living wage dictates that
$233 should be set aside for
contingency for unexpected car
repairs, insurance deductibles, etc.,
while $757 would go towards other
expenses, such as laundry, personal
care, furniture, vacations, etc.
Clark was quick to point out that
all of the expenses laid out are
related to the living wage, but don’t
include many long-term expenses
that many families take for granted
like savings, budgetting for post-
secondary schooling, etc. The living
wage, she told councillors, is just
that: a wage that allows a family to
live a basically comfortable life
without any splurges or luxuries.
While it’s all well and good to
develop a living wage, Clark said, in
the community, an average of half of
the residents throughout Huron and
Perth Counties, as well as Stratford,
make under the living wage.
She also attempted to dispel the
myth that paying a higher wage
causes inflation among local
employers and retailers as a result.
“There is a myth that the ‘high
turnover and low pay’ model is the
secret to success in business. But
many employers see things
differently,” Helmi Ansari of
Grosche International was quoted as
saying in Clark’s presentation. “We
know from experience that a
commitment to decent work makes
good economic sense. By speaking
out, we hope to open up the
conversation about what makes the
most sense today.”
Paying a living wage, she said, has
many benefits for employers,
including that it enhances marketing
strategy for recruitment, increases
employee retention and value
proposition, elevates employer
profile in the community, decreases
turnover rates and re-training costs,
increases staff morale and loyalty
and improves productivity and
service delivery.
From a worker’s perspective, a
living wage reduces the need to work
multiple jobs to pay bills, improves
nutrition and reduces the constant
stress of financial pressures,
resulting in better health, raises the
standards of living and the quality of
life and provides opportunities for
skills training to improve their
education credentials and
employment opportunities.
In terms of benefits to the
community, a living wage raises
consumer spending in the local
economy, increases civic
participation, lowers child poverty
rates and promotes the benefits of
social programs like child care and
public transportation.
As a result, the United Way has
been asking businesses, corporations
and municipalities to become
certified living wage employers,
asking Central Huron to make that
commitment at its Feb. 4 meeting.
Council directed staff to prepare a
report and present it to council at a
future meeting on the living wage
employer declaration.
MyPerthHuron.ca
Clarke spoke to the progress of the
United Way’s new data website,
myperthhuron.ca, saying that it is
working to accumulate data from
communities throughout the two
counties and Stratford.
He told council that while all of
the information the United Way
looks to accumulate for the website
is publicly available, the site would
gather it in one convenient platform.
Clarke said that while statistics
could be found on the Statistics
Canada website and election results
could be found on each
municipality’s website, the United
Way project would make things
much more convenient for those
looking for information on the
region.
In addition to information from
municipalities, he said he hoped the
website would gather information
from local service providers, non-
profit organizations, community
surveys, the Huron County Health
Unit, federal and provincial statistics
and others.
He also asked Central Huron to
enter into a data-sharing agreement
with the United Way for its website
for its election results. Clarke said
the agreement could expand to
include more information in the
future, but that would have to be
mutually agreed upon by both
parties and it would never be any
type of private information.
Council agreed to enter into a
data-sharing agreement with the
United Way for its website.
United Way representatives
blanketed area councils last week
with the living wage and the
myperthhuron.ca presentations,
speaking with North Huron, Morris-
Turnberry and Huron East Councils
as well bringing forward the above
presentation.
By Shawn Loughlin
The Citizen
Laughs
The Brussels, Morris and Grey recreation committee
hosted its second annual Yuk Yuk’s Stand Up Comedy Tour
Valentine’s Dinner and Show on Feb. 9. (Nick Vinnicombe photo)
Festival to expand to
include children’s time
Continued from page 1
Central Huron, which has been one
of the monetary partners of the
festival.
Councillor Alison Lobb, who is a
member of the festival’s board of
directors, came to Stewart’s
defence, saying that the Bayfield
events were very well attended,
while she couldn’t say the same for
events hosted in Wingham, for
example.
Stewart was asking council to
contribute $1,500 for the expansion
of the festival, a request that has
been referred to council’s budget
deliberations, set for the coming
months.
She told council that the new
programming was aimed at bringing
together writers and readers of all
ages through storytelling.
For its contribution to the festival,
Stewart said the municipality would
receive a number of tickets for
municipal representatives to attend
festival events, as well as
emcee mentions and logo inclusion
on a number of promotional
materials.
Have A New Addition?
519-523-4792 or 519-887-9114
Let everyone know about your new bundle of joy!
The CitizenCall for prices and details