Minimum wage decreases

By Alex Scott

The recent minimum wage increase had many ripple-effect changes for workers in Windsor-Essex.

Starting on Jan. 1, minimum wage increased from $11.70 to $14 an hour. It will become $15 an hour on Jan. 1, 2019.

Now that companies are having to pay their employees more money, some are finding ways to make it back. Within weeks of the minimum wage increase, Tim Hortons raised the prices of many of their items. For example, a large coffee went up from $1.90 to $1.98 and with the elimination of the penny it rounds up to $2.

Dean Banner, who works at a Tim Hortons in east Windsor, has found that he gets less tips than before.

“Usually when people buy a coffee they would give me $2 and let me keep the change.” Banner said.
“It doesn’t sound like much but it really adds up.”

According to Banner, the Tim Hortons location he works at also cut back on different things to save money. They are giving people shorter shifts and are shortening breaks. Breaks used to be 18 minutes and paid but now they are not paid and only 15 minutes. The 50 per cent employee discount is also no longer offered at his location.

Peter Jabbour, a Grade 12 student at Catholic Central High School, says he and his friends have struggled to find a job since the wage increase.

“I am trying to save money for school next year but a lot of places don’t seem to be hiring anymore” said Jabbour.