By Greg Fry

Province of B.C. gives liquor servers a raise

Apr 19, 2018 | 10:00 AM

KAMLOOPS — Good news for liquor servers and other alternate minimum wage earners as the province has announced they’ll all receive a raise.

The province is acting on recommendations put forth by the Fair Wages Commission, and will eliminate the liquor server wage by 2021. As of June 1, 2018, liquor servers, who currently earn $10.10 hourly, will be bumped 12.9 per cent to $11.40 an hour.

Victoria will also gradually increase the wages for specific groups of workers who do not earn the general hourly rate.

Along with liquor servers, resident caretakers and live-in camp leaders will also see wage increases starting June 1, 2018, while farm workers paid by piece rate will see an increase starting Jan. 1, 2019.

“Agriculture Minister Lana Popham said government is extending the transition period for changes to farm workers piece rates to January 2019 from June 2018 in order to better balance the needs of workers and the agriculture industry,” reads a government news release.

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Wages for the five worker groups currently subject to alternate minimum wage rates will change as follows:

• Liquor servers: incremental increases on June 1 each year, beginning June 2018, until the general minimum wage is reached, of at least $15.20 per hour, in 2021.
• Piece-rate farm workers: 11.5 per cent increase to all piece rates on Jan. 1, 2019, with further study to take place.
• Resident caretakers: 11.5 per cent increase June 2018, followed by increases of 9.5 per cent, 5.4 per cent and 4.1 per cent in 2019, 2020 and 2021, respectively. (Wages vary depending on building size.)
• Live-in camp leaders: same per cent increases as resident caretakers, until they reach $121.65 per day, in 2021.
• Live-in home-support workers: abolishment of the alternate minimum wage for this group, as it covers very few or no workers. The general minimum wage will apply to any workers remaining in this category.

You can read the Fair Wages Commission recommendations by clicking here.

The wage hikes follow an across the board minimum wage hike announced in February. The minimum wage for those workers will increase $1.30 to $12.65 beginning June 1, 2018 and continue to rise gradually before hitting $15.20 an hour by June 2021.