Click here to visit the Living Wage Niagara website
United Way Niagara is excited to be taking on the Living Wage Program after nearly seven years of establishment in Niagara. Funded by the Niagara Prosperity Initiative through Niagara Region, the Living Wage Program aims to address poverty through corporate social responsibility. Providing a living wage is an important policy lever that can help lift Niagara residents out of poverty and provide them with basic economic security and opportunities for social inclusion.
What is Living Wage?
A living wage is an important poverty reduction tool to help get Niagara residents out of severe financial stress by providing the means to raise children and take part in social and community activities. Living wage is not the same as minimum wage, which is the legal minimum all employers must pay. The living wage reflects what earners in a household need to be paid, based on the actual cost of living and being included in a specific community.
The living wage for 2022 in Niagara is $19.80 per hour. It is calculated as an evidence-based hourly rate at which a household in Niagara can meet its basic needs.
Included in this calculation are:
- food
- shelter
- clothing
- transportation
- communication
- child care
- private health care insurance for prescription medication/dental coverage
- continuing education for adults to upgrade skills
- participation in community (i.e. recreation and leisure)
Benefit to Employers
Employers paying a living wage experience improved reputation of the business, better relationships between management and staff, decreased employee turnover and absenteeism, increased retention and productivity, and savings on rehiring and retraining. Employers can use the living wage as a tool within their recruitment strategy for lower paying occupations. Additionally, long-term, stable, happy employees lead to better relationships with customers, which aids in growing a business.
- Niagara Falls Community Health Centre
- Niagara Folk Arts Multicultural Centre
- Women’s Place of South Niagara Inc.
- Niagara Centre for Independent Living
- Positive Living Niagara
- PenFinancial Credit Union
- Niagara Pallet & Recyclers Ltd.
- Iron Will Raw Inc.
- Person Centered Care of Niagara Inc
- John Howard Society of Niagara
- Beechwood Doughnuts
- Sicard RV
- Spirit Athletics
- Second Dance Bridal
- Dispatch
- The Niagara Herbalist
- Feather & Pearl
- ServiceMaster Restore of Niagara
- Niagara Eye Care Centre
- Marmax Machine & Manufacturing
- Enviro-Niagara
- Kraun Electric Inc.
- Con Gusto Artisan Bakery
- Modern Landfill Inc
- One Earth
- Lincoln County Humane Society
- Centennial Construction and Contracting Inc.
- Niagara Sexual Assault Centre
- Gales Gas Bar Limited
- InspireClean Inc.
- Miller DKI
- Gillian’s Place
- Griffiths Performance Physiotherapy
- Niagara Artists Centre
- Niagara Regional Housing
- GFL Environmental Inc.
- Niagara Community Legal Clinic
- Oakridge Cabinets
- Bertie and Clinton Mutual Insurance
- Anchors Away
- Trilogen Technologies Inc.
- NatureKast Products Inc.
- Canalside Soda Co.
- Robert Land Academy
- MarkMeldrum.com
- Trusted Time Inc.
- Cultivating Hope Foundation
- Flavour Art North America
- Niagara Regional Broadband Network Ltd
- Cairnwood Homes
- The Social Gourmet
- Carousel Players
- Upper Canada Animal Hospital
- Mini Binz
- Little Chief & Co.
- Rose Hill Lane Inc. Premium Personal Support
- Junk to Jewels
- Southridge Community Church and Shelter
- Out Of The Past
- Super Plak Inc
- Greenbelt Academy and Early Learning Centre
- Force Security Inc.
- Derksen and MacKay Medicine Professional Corporation
- Intuitive Shipping Inc.
- Roberts Electric Inc
- Elmwood Cabinetry
- Maple Craft Doors
- Sylvana Royal LePage NRC Realty
- Lincoln Chamber of Commerce
- Niagara SPCA and Humane Society
- Pelham Cares Inc.
- Datawise Solutions Inc
- PenFinancial Credit Union
- Niagara Association of REALTORS®
- Jordan Station Design Co Inc.
- Sprout Studio
- Corporation of the City of St. Catharines
- St. Catharines Downtown Association
- United Way Niagara
- Young Electric Inc
- A Cut Above Drywall Inc.
- We The Finest Burger Company
- KoenPack Canada inc.
- Ontario Concrete Raising Ltd.
- Mitchell Contracting
- Meridian Credit Union
- Chantal A. McCollum, Barrister & Solicitor
- Out of Town Lincoln
- Thorold Community Credit Union
- Auto Export Corportation
Learn More
To learn more about the certification process, contact Isha Dadhwal, Living Wage Program Coordinator at [email protected] or by phone at 905-688-5050 ext. 2124
Additional Resources
