Zorra Township to explore becoming living wage employer

Connor Luczka, Echo Correspondent

Zorra Township council will soon be discussing the viability of becoming a certified living wage employer with the Ontario Living Wage Network.

The network is an organization that champions the concept of a living wage, effectively the hourly wage a worker needs to earn to cover their basic expenses and participate in the community.

In 2024, the network had $19.50 as the living wage for London-Elgin-Oxford, the region where Zorra Township resides. Currently, it is the lowest living wage rate in Ontario, but each year the organization produces a report and update in November.

Coun. Crystal Finch made a motion to direct staff to prepare a report on the subject for council’s May 21 meeting. Finch said Zorra residents have seen the effects of affordability pressures and the township has the opportunity to be a leader in the area.

“I look forward to the report, as I feel being a certified living wage employer is an important step in being proactive,” she said.

Coun. Paul Mitchell was not convinced, however.

“Living wage is a feel-good thing in theory, but in reality, it has some unintended consequences. If an employer is mandated to raise the pay level of their least trained, educated and experienced workers to a level that meets the living wage to maintain pay equity with their employees, they also have to raise the pay level for their medium-skilled and their high-skilled workers. If they do that, their price, cost of production for their product or service is increased to the point where they could become uncompetitive.”

That reality could mean the elimination of minimum wage jobs to be replaced by machines, he said, and for that reason, he did not support the motion.

He argued the township already has a high base pay rate for employees so a report would be redundant.

Both Mayor Ryan and Coun. Kevin Stewart supported the motion, saying that while they agreed with Mitchell’s points in part (if not in totality), a staff report would thoroughly examine it in a Zorra context, allowing council to make an informed decision either way.