Jasper businesses are joining a growing coalition in Alberta pledging to not cut youth employees’ pay.
As of June 26, the minimum wage for students under 18 is $13 per hour due to changes made by the UCP government.
But a website has been launched, Alberta15, which lists businesses in Alberta that are committed to paying all of their staff members a minimum wage of $15 per hour.
Four in Jasper have signed up.
Mike Day owns Evil Dave's Grill, one of those businesses.
“I just don’t think it’s a fair way to treat people,” said Day. “We have had some youth working for us the last couple of years and I didn’t think it was reasonable to lower their wages back.”
Day’s daughter Sierra has worked with him since she was 15 and now manages the restaurant at Tekarra Lodge restaurant - another business that has signed up to Alberta15, and which Day owns.
Day said Sierra was the one who brought the website to his attention.
“I think it’s a great initiative,” he said.
“The work she [the employee under 18] does has been great and if her friends are starting to work I don’t think it would be fair to charge a different rate.
“We didn’t even contemplate rolling the wage back.”
The other Jasper businesses signed up for Alberta15 are Translucid Adventures and Jasper Rock and Jade.
Anna Murray, co-owner of Jasper Rock and Jade, said: “For me, I really just wanted to show I don’t support Jason Kenney and his position on that.
“I think minimum wage should be minimum wage.
“People are doing the same job and are on the same rate as everybody else and I don’t think age should impact that.
“That, to me, is just crazy and I think it is really discriminatory.”
Murray said she stumbled on Alberta15 on Facebook and decided to sign up.
“I think if more local businesses knew about it they would sign up,” she said.
