The four provincial governments of Newfoundland and Labrador, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick agreed in 2017 to harmonize the timing of their annual minimum wage increases to take place on April 1.
This agreement was struck in part due to advocacy from Restaurants Canada, as this makes operational planning easier for foodservice businesses with multiple locations across the Atlantic Canada region.
Minimum wages in Atlantic Canada will increase as follows on April 1, 2019:
Newfoundland and Labrador
From $11.15 to $11.40 per hour.
Prince Edward Island
From $11.55 to $12.25 per hour.
Nova Scotia
From $11.00 to $11.55 per hour.
From $10.50 to $11.05 per hour for employees in their first three months of employment.
New Brunswick
From $11.25 to $11.50 per hour.
Restaurants Canada continues to support ongoing discussions to harmonize the rate-setting mechanisms for minimum wage increases across Atlantic Canada. Linking minimum wage increases to the consumer price index in each province would bring transparency, predictability and consistency for foodservice businesses within the region. This would help them plan their operations in ways that make the most sense for their staff and customers, allow them to more easily support philanthropic initiatives in their communities, and better contribute to economic prosperity through expansion and growth.
Jurisdictions that currently link minimum wage increases to growth in the consumer price index include Yukon, Manitoba, New Brunswick, and Newfoundland and Labrador.
If you have any questions or would like more information, you can get in touch with Luc Erjavec, Restaurants Canada Vice President, Atlantic Canada, at lerjavec@restaurantscanada.org or 1-800-387-5649 ext. 5000.
Restaurants Canada Digital
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