Sunday, 24 November 2024

#FightFor15

The social determinants of health in Nova Scotia. Part 1: Poverty makes you sick

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New contributor Alex Kronstein suggests that an election campaign is the perfect time to bug the candidates about the underlying social causes of our healthcare crisis. In part 1 of the series he argues that when it comes to income distribution Nova Scotia could do much better. A living wage, a $15 minimum wage, making it easier for workplaces to unionize, and a guaranteed income are all measures that could make a big difference here.

The politics of anti-poverty policies in Nova Scotia

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Christine Saulnier, Nova Scotia Director of the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, looks at the different ways politicians propose to address poverty in Nova Scotia during this election: wage increases, social programs, tax-based incentives, or a job.

The Liberal plan to cut taxes will not benefit the very poor, while the money could have been used to raise the income assistance rates or reduce the clawbacks, she writes, while simply saying that “the best social program is still a job” ignores the many people who simply are unable to work. Meanwhile, the NDP proposal to raise minimum wage to $15 definitely helps people who are struggling to make ends meet.

A living wage for Halifax and Antigonish

The living wage in Halifax went down in 2016, a new CCPA report suggests. But there is a good and instructive reason for that. Also in the report, a living wage for Antigonish town and municipality.

Halifax Council continues to ignore fair wages for outsourced services

Halifax Council recently awarded a cleaning contract for the Sackville Sports Stadium to the lowest bidder, raising questions about wages paid to the outsourced janitorial staff . Prior to the municipal elections several successful candidates declared that they supported a living wage. That issue was not raised during the discussions, however.

Weekend video: Below the line

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This documentary may be low on production values, but that doesn’t seem to matter. Meet five different people, all pretty young, all struggling to make ends meet. You get the sense these are friends and acquaintances of the director, who doesn’t judge and just lets the camera (or cell phone) run, just lets people tell their stories. The result is something definitely worth checking out.

Op-ed: Fair wages clause in Halifax tenders nothing but fluff

The City of Halifax applies a fair wage consideration when evaluating bids for services. But it’s just fluff, as the recent awarding of a parking enforcement contract shows. HRM doesn’t really care how well third party workers are paid, as long as costs are down.