The Squamish Nation will soon be guaranteeing all of its staff and contractors a living wage, giving a pay bump to more than a third of its workforce.
The nation announced this week that they had received certification from the Living Wage for Families Campaign.
“It shows that we value our employees by ensuring they have their salary needs met to take care of their families and also build a strong and healthy Squamish Nation community,” said Orene Askew, Squamish Nation councillor and spokesperson.
Unlike the provincial minimum wage, which is currently $14.60 per hour in B.C., the living wage is calculated by the campaign to be $19.50 per hour in Metro Vancouver for jobs that don’t include benefits. That is the amount required cover basic expenses including food, rent, clothing child care, transportation and some small savings for a family of four with two working parents, according to the campaign. Squamish Nation staff who receive benefits packages will see their starting wage bumped to $17.18.
Squamish Nation council came to the idea in 2019 after conducting a review of all of its staffing and wages.
“Because we all knew the affordability issues as it relates to living in North Van,” said Chris Lewis, council member and spokesman. “It's really about addressing the poverty issues that we were seeing within our community where people could be working full time and still struggling.”
According to Lewis, 96 of the 280 people employed by the band or its contractors will benefit from the raise. Sixty-four per cent of their employees are Squamish Nation members and another 11 per cent are Indigenous from other nations.
Those who will see the largest increase are temporary seasonal workers, like fisheries guardians who patrol the rivers and ensure Squamish members can fish without disturbance, and youth camp and recreational employees, as well as those who work at businesses on Squamish land like gas bar and smoke shop staff, he said.
The increase comes into effect when staff contracts are renewed and will be followed up with annual cost of living adjustment.
There are currently 160 employers in B.C. who have received Living Wage certification, including the Huu-ay-aht First Nation, City of Vancouver and City of Port Coquitlam. In 2019, the City of North Vancouver began exploring becoming a living wage employer.
Anastasia French, organizer for the Living Wage for Families Campaign, said they were grateful for the Squamish Nation’s decision.
“The COVID-19 crisis has magnified the importance of achieving living wages for all, whether for workers identified as essential during this crisis, putting their lives on the line to keep us safe, or those whose low wages and precarious work have left them without a buffer in the face of acute income insecurity,” she said.
In 2017, Squamish Nation members elected a new council that includes a slate of younger members. Since then, they have pursued a more progressive agenda.
“It's really building on our history as a nation. Our elders always remind us that we were trailblazers when it came to dealing with the land question and rights and title,” Lewis said. “We've taken the torch and kind of said, ‘OK, we really have to do this at home as well for our community and our people and ensure that we're continuing to kind of push the envelope for positive change.’”
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