Open letter to Education Minister Elaine Taylor:
The CBC reported on Nov. 17 that foreign workers under the Yukon Nominee Program are to be paid a starting wage of $15 per hour. I can’t help but think that there are many Canadians who work in those same positions, and are only entitled to Yukon minimum wage at $10.72 per hour.
Why does our government value the labour of foreign workers more than Canadians? There are single parents, seniors, individuals with disabilities and many hardworking others who also deserve to be paid $15 per hour. We are all affected by this two-tiered system. Surprisingly, there hasn’t been a lot of media coverage or discussion about this.
Please report more on this topic so that Yukoners and Canadians can understand why our labour is worth so much less. For all my fellow workers, I demand equal pay for equal work!
Erin Giesbrecht
Whitehorse