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w at er lo oc hr on ic le .c a W at er lo o C hr on ic le | T hu rs da y, N ov em be r 18 ,2 02 1 | 10 Kanah Sansilippo is a full-time student at Lau- rentian University. She works as a server at The Imperial Market and Eat- ery at New Hamburg whenever she's on holiday. When she's working the opening shift at the restau- rant, she comes in early to get things ready. She ar- ranges the chairs and cuts the ingredients that would be needed for service that day. And when customers start filing in, she enthusi- astically welcomes them with a smile and gets them seated. When she's not working as a server, she tends the bar. Sansilippo is one of the fortunate servers not earn- ing $12.55 hourly. In Onta- rio, liquor servers receive a lower minimum wage than the general provincial wage because of the gratu- ities they regularly receive. On Nov. 4, the Ontario government introduced a bill that would raise the provincial minimum wage from $14.35 to $15 hourly. If passed, the change will take effect on Jan. 1, 2022. Sansilippo thinks the in- crease in the minimum wage is a great move by the government particularly for people who earn below the provincial minimum wage. "Especially with living costs going up in Southern Ontario," she says. "It's re- ally going to enable people to provide for themselves and provide for their fami- lies." She lives on her family farm -- which she de- scribes as being between New Hamburg and New Dundee -- when she's on holiday from school. Mak- ing minimum wage plus tips allows her to save for school. Though Sansilippo lives with family, she thinks this increase will provide her with "a greater sense of security" when she decides to move out. "It's hard to provide (for) yourself and your family with just a minimum wage job." Even though the wage may go up just a few cents, she thinks the province is moving in the right direc- tion. This proposed increase will also eliminate the spe- cial minimum wage rate for special liquor servers. In Ontario, special liquor servers currently make $12.55 per hour; this new in- crease will raise it to the general minimum wage. Craig Pickthorne, commu- nications coordinator for the Ontario Living Wage Network, says this is the biggest highlight of the an- nouncement. In North American cul- ture, customers give tips to servers especially because they're not properly paid. Although not all servers get paid $12.55 in Ontario, tipping has been ingrained in the Canadian culture, and the size of the tip some- times depends on how good the service is. Pickthorne says that giving tips has a horrific history and it'll be good for people to contem- plate not having to do that. "The separate distinct wage just because you're serving alcohol, there's an expectation of gratuity is wrapped up in that terrible history too. So, it's nice to see that they're getting rid of that." He says although the general wage increment is a good step in the right di- rection, it's still not what people should be earning for a living wage. In the Wa- terloo Region, the living wage is $17.20. "That's still a big differ- ence per hour," he says. "People just want to make ends meet. A minimum wage is not going to do it; a living wage is what we need." In places such as To- ronto and Durham Region, the living wage is $22.08 and $17.80, respectively. Pickthorne thinks if the government mandates that workers be paid a living wage, having to give tips may just go away. "It went away in other places in the world," he says. "We're one of the last places in the world that has gratuity, for that matter." However, he doesn't think this should take away people's income, especially if they make more on tips than mini- mum wage. Hasib Yousufzai, owner of Poppy's Pizzeria and Shawarma on Bleams Road in New Hamburg, thinks the minimum wage should be commensurate to the current increase in the prices of goods. "Fifteen dollars is not enough," he said. Yousufzai started his business last year and has no employees yet. He thinks bigger businesses may not feel the impact fi- nancially, but smaller busi- nesses will. STORY BEHIND THE STORY: After the Ontario government announced that minimum wage will increase to $15, we wanted to speak with local people in the serving industry to learn what the proposed change will mean to them. PROPOSED MINIMUM WAGE INCREASE FALLS BELOW LIVING WAGE Kanah Sansilippo is a full-time student who works as a server at The Imperial Market and Eatery whenever she's on holiday from school. The Imperial Market and Eatery photo SEYITAN MORITIWON NEWS 'A MINIMUM WAGE IS NOT GOING TO DO IT; A LIVING WAGE IS WHAT WE NEED': ONTARIO LIVING WAGE NETWORK Getting the best deal on car insurance is one more thing you can be great at.thing you can be great at. Compare rates from 30+ providers.