There's no doubt. We started a $15 minimum wage policy federally about four years ago, I think, so even that is a modest response.
What's really upsetting to me is that I have a Food Basics in an area I represent in Windsor West that is clearly inferior in the way it's serviced, the way it's kept and its standards. What upsets me even more is hearing about this wage differential, because the people around there are also workers. It's in one of the most disadvantaged, challenged, demographically diverse areas. It has hiring issues historically.
What really bothers me a lot about this is that the stores don't have to have a policy of paying their workers differently. That's a business choice to deliberately provide lower service and fewer products. On top of that, they know they are in depressed areas compared to some of the other areas in the suburbs that are more affluent, with better jobs, better products, better service, and that's their business model. It's outright discrimination towards some of the poorest and most disadvantaged neighbourhoods we have, and they implement this policy. They build their business on it.
You wonder why people get upset about this, because the kids and the part-time workers around them.... I know, because I used to be an appointments specialist for persons with disabilities, and they are the most vulnerable in this. You're right about the hours being set and the lack of follow-up.
At any rate, this needs a lot more work than what we're doing in these committee hearings today. There's no doubt there is structural discrimination by the grocery store chains in some of the most disadvantaged areas. All you have to do is walk the aisles of the stores to see the difference. Why do some neighbourhoods get treated differently from other ones?