By The Canadian Press

Under Review

Province strikes panel to advise on wage cut for alcohol servers

Aug 16, 2019 | 5:58 AM

EDMONTON – A provincial panel will explore whether cutting the minimum wage for Alberta’s alcohol servers could give them more working hours and boost their overall income with more tips.

Labour Minister Jason Copping says the panel of academics, industry leaders and workers is to report back in the new year.

“By establishing this panel of experts, we are keeping another platform promise and making progress on our common-sense plan to restore jobs and prosperity to our province,” says Copping.

The panel will also consolidate existing studies on the effects of a rise in minimum wage under Alberta’s former NDP government.

Under the NDP, the minimum wage rose from $10.20 to the current rate of $15 an hour, the highest in Canada, and a reduced rate for alcohol servers was eliminated.

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Premier Jason Kenney’s new United Conservative government cut the minimum wage from $15 an hour to $13 for those under 18, saying the lower rate will make it easier for employers to hire and reduce Alberta’s youth unemployment rate.

Kenney also said during the spring election campaign that he alcohol servers who told him the wage increase forced employers to cut their hours and that a wage cut would be more than offset by higher tip income from more hours worked.

“The UCP have clearly stacked the deck against working people with the creation of this panel,” said Christina Gray, NDP Official Opposition Critic for Labour and Immigration.

“We know a $15 minimum wage means more money in the pockets of Albertans who will spend it in our local economy. This is good for workers and jobs,” said Gray. “We also know it’s wrong to pay a group of workers, made up of mostly women, a lower minimum wage than everyone else.”

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Minimum wage expert panel members

• Joseph Marchand, panel chair, associate professor of economics, University of Alberta

• Anindya Sen, professor of economics

• Mark von Schellwitz, vice-president (Western Canada), Restaurants Canada

• Richard Truscott, vice-president, British Columbia and Alberta, Canadian Federation of Independent Business

• Jason Stanton, owner, Running Room

• Branko Culo, owner of Express Employment and member of Alberta Enterprise Group

• Delphine Borger, server, Blink Restaurant, Calgary

• Rachel Donnelly, server, Chop Steakhouse

• Nicole Lyckama, server, Blink Restaurant, Calgary