Niagara Centre MPP among the first to lead the Living Wage movement

Aside from being a big supporter, Niagara Centre MPP Jeff Burch was an early participant in the Ontario Living Wage Network.

“It’s not a partisan comment to say that if someone gets up every day and goes to work, they should make enough to live on,” said Burch.

“Back in 2017, when I was CEO and Executive Director of the Niagara Folk Arts Multicultural Centre, we were one of the first certified Ontario Living Wage Network employers in the region. Four years later, Niagara has over 50 living wage employers.”

Burch believes paying workers enough to live on should be a basic responsibility.

“We know that when working families at the low end of the income scale get an increase, that money goes immediately and directly back into the economy for basic consumer goods. This increases economic activity and is proven to be good for business.”

And he believes one good turn deserves another. “One way you can support living wages in Niagara is to support certified living wage employers.”

For a list of Niagara’s 50-plus Living Wage employers, check this map: https://www.ontariolivingwage.ca/directory

(Below is a photo of Burch with coworkers at the Niagara Folk Arts Multicultural Centre when they became Living Wage employers)