Victoria city council has signed on the "Living Wage for Families" campaign.
Councillor Geoff Young said the campaign means they would be paying more than the planned $15 minimum wage set by the B.C. government.
“It’s simply a campaign to raise the minimum wage for city employees up to just over $20 an hour,” Young said. “We’re not going to get to $15.20 as the minimum wage until 2020…so it’s certainly about the government mandated minimum wage.”
Young voted against the motion, and said he worries about the wage gap between public employees and government employees.
“I don’t think the problem is that government employees are underpaid,” Young said. “I’m getting quite concerned that we are seeing a real disparity.”
The wage would apply to all city employees, and most city contractors.
When put to a vote seven councillors voted in favour, and only one voted against.