Major milestone for the Living Wage campaign

We have certified another 24 employers, bringing the total of Living Wage Employers in BC to over 250. 

This month we have continued to certify Living Wage Employers in new sectors. We have our first Living Wage ski area (Sovereign Lake), village (Fruitvale), coffee shop (Kits Beach Coffee), distributors (Ryan Vending), nature sanctuary (Swan Lake Christmas Hill), air vent cleaners (Modern Purair and GVA Power Vac), hearing testers (Reliable Mobile Hearing Testing) and first aid provider (Elite Security and First Aid Services). 

"We know that the COVID-19 pandemic has undoubtedly been a very difficult time for many employers and low wage workers. However, it has also made many realise the importance of earning a Living Wage. We have now seen a 400% increase in enquiries and applications from employers this year." Anastasia French, Campaign Organiser

Why our new employers have joined the campaign

There are a variety of reasons why these employers have committed to pay their staff a Living Wage:

“Paying a living wage is a step towards making a collective impact on poverty. As a business, we can begin the process by making that impact on our local community. We can hope that this be an inspiration and example that spreads countrywide so we can all work together to end poverty." Karen Gendron, Borrego Radium - owners of Stickernut and Taphandlestogo.com“

Artistic work is work, and the workers must be fairly compensated for their work. We are pleased to join the group of organizations from across BC to amplify that commitment." Henry Heng Lu, Centre A

“Our Employees make our business grow and are all part of the communities we live and work in. It is important that their ability to live sustainably in these communities is supported by a Living Wage” Aidan Shirley, City State consulting group

"Elite Security & First Aid Services started as a worker built company with the goal of improving industry standards of service and wages. We are grateful to lead the way today in raising the bar for employment in our field" Care Serene, Elite First Aid + Security Services

“We are a new business and committed to building it right. We believe in putting our employees first and ensuring they are paid a Living Wage will help us build a successful team”. Amy Moscrop, Goodbye Garbage.

“Dating back to our co-op roots, equity and fair wages have always been core values at Horizon. Although we do review our wages annually, using the Living Wage for Families as our minimum ensures that everyone is compensated a fair wage. I appreciate the influence that we have on our contractors to commit to a living wage.” Katie McKenzie, Horizon Grocery + Wellness

"We see everything we do as an opportunity to be an integral example of how to be a good corporate citizen and neighbour.” James Boileau, Kits Beach Coffee.

“Providing a living wage is part of our social responsibility. Living Wage certification is part of goal to become a certified B-Corp.” Matthew Wong, Purpose CPA

“The Ryan Vending ownership and managers are thrilled to be recognized as the first Living Wage Certified vending company. As a fourth generation, family owned and operated company we believe in supporting our employees in maintaining a healthy work-life balance – we do this by ensuring our employees are paid fairly so they can support their families, providing flexible scheduling options, and promoting a supportive and diverse work environment. We are pleased to see our employees be part of flourishing communities throughout BC and feel this investment in our people is a pillar of the companies’ success.” Leanne Fleming, Ryan Vending

“Sovereign Lake Nordic Club is honoured to be recognized as a Living Wage Employer. In placing our employees' health and financial stability front and centre, we help to build long term sustainable employment opportunities for our community, while reducing training costs in this traditional high staff turnover industry. With an 80% annual return rate of our employees, it helps maintain a friendly and familiar atmosphere for our members and guests. We want to ensure that as an employer we can foster inclusivity and diversity in the workplace. By meeting and exceeding these minimum benchmarks for a living wage, we are creating a strong team more akin to a family than just a job” Troy Hudson, Sovereign Lake Nordic Club

“When we show value to our employees, they show value to our business!” Michael Adams, Spiritleaf West Kelowna

“When we are capable of supporting ourselves we are stronger!” Margaret McGraw, Te'mexw Treaty Association

“At TWD, our success is based on our people. We strive to attract top notch individuals to join our team and we want them to stay with us. Our goal is to create a rewarding and enriching work experience for our employees, and this starts with paying our employees a sustainable and living wage.” Alanna Grant, TWD Technologies

Full list of new Living Wage Employers

Action Clean
Borrego Radium
CityState Consulting Group
Corporation of the Village of Fruitvale
Elite Security and First Aid Services
Horizon Grocery + Wellness
Hybrid Landscapes Inc
It's Your Time Business Services Inc
Kits Beach Coffee
Modern Purair
Purpose CPA
Reliable Mobile Hearing Testing
RJS Construction
Ryan Vending
Sovereign Lake Nordic Club
Spiritleaf West Kelowna
Swan Lake Christmas Hill Nature Sanctuary
G.V.A. Power Vac
TCO Environmental
Te'mexw Treaty Association
Trash City Garbage Removal Company Inc DBA Goodbye Garbage Vancouver
TWD Technologies Inc.
Vancouver International Centre for Contemporary Asian Art (d.b.a. Centre A)
Worker Solidarity Network

Further Reading

View the full list of Living Wage Employers
Learn about how to become a Living Wage Employer