TORONTO — The Ontario government has announced that it will increase the provincial minimum wage to $15 per hour next year.
Premier Doug Ford made the official announcement Tuesday morning in Milton alongside Minister of Labour, Training and Skills Development Monte McNaughton and Minister of Finance Peter Bethlenfalvy.
Right now, the minimum wage in Ontario is $14.35 per hour. The increase to $15 per hour will come into effect on Jan. 1, the government said. As previously reported by CTV News Toronto, the minimum wage will then continue to rise by the rate of inflation following that date.
“For many Ontarians wages haven’t kept up with the increasing cost of living, making it harder than ever to make ends meet,” Ford said at a news conference in Milton.
“I’ve always said, workers deserve to have more money in their pockets because they have worked hard and put in long hours. The least the government can do is ensure we’re making life more affordable for them.”
Ford said the pay bump would result in more than 760,000 workers across Ontario receiving a raise in the new year.
The bump will also apply to liquor servers in the province, who currently make $12.55 per hour.
Back in 2018, the previous Liberal government had increased minimum wages from $11.60 an hour to $14 an hour. A promise by that government to push the minimum wage to $15 an hour in 2019 was scrapped by Ford after he took office.
This is a breaking news story. More to come.
