Paid By The Man

I think that EI and CERB should be 75% of your normal pay (EI is normally 55%).

I could say that CERB should receive your county's "living wage" which is sadly more than most retail workers make. In Grey/Bruce that's $18.39/hr so that would be even worse (for those having to work right now).

Now, there is a gap between $16 and $18.39 but you'll find happier employees if they're all making $16/hr vs minimum wage $14. Unfortunately, this slow down will only lower the standard of living and raise prices after (you know it's coming even with government bailouts to companies) so $18.39 will probably become $19.39/hr needed to live here.

I'm on regular EI illness benefits right now. They bumped it up a little from what they initially said (I'm assuming that's a result of this situation) I would get but it still works out to $1,036 a month after taxes (75%). I usually clear around $1,400 a month if I'm lucky.

The one thing I will say is this.

Now that people are making more money and corporate stores are not going under as a result. How many people will be willing to have their pay go back to what it was before the virus when (if) this is all over?

Clearly, the corporations have proven they can 'step up' and pay more and not go under and not jack up prices.

I'm sorry to say that after this is over I would support a minimum wage increase to $16/hr AND a mandatory government regulated price freeze on all essentials for 3-6 months (gas, food, rent, utilities) only to get the economy stable and moving forward. Sorry to all of the small struggling businesses out there, but to be honest (as I was one of you years ago) the weaker of you will be culled out during this event anyways.

Many will survive this, but you can bet that when it is over things like hydro won't go back to 20c/kwh (it will probably sneak up higher over the year following) from 10, they'll make up their losses and take any money the government offers them. It's the way of the world. The thing hydro has proven during this that you should remember - not all plant workers are essential. The ones that are not are the ones adding to your hydro bill each month.

This is a response to a US/American article, as noted the same thing is happening here: https://medium.com/@streetwisediogenes/essential-workers-are-making-less-money-than-those-on-unemployment-d92b7d8dc22b

In Canada today "Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced the expansion of the Canada Emergency Response Benefit, & topping up the pay of essential workers making less than $2,500 a month. Anyone who makes under $1,000 a month, those who can't work seasonal jobs, or if you've run out of EI you can apply for the CERB"

The CERB, wage increases, EI, it's all making a complete clusterfk out of the entire system. I'm curious if anyone notices this is a way to get people on "living wage" (some faster than others regretably) without calling it that and forcing businesses (who survive) to pay more. I'm curious,If we get past covid, how the government will "supplement" these wage increases to keep a living wage standard going? Nationalize private corporations perhaps? I see the auto industry first on that pile of socialism.