Norm Miller says over 200 businesses in Muskoka are concerned about a proposed wage increase.
The Parry Sound-Muskoka MPP reached out to local businesses recently, asking what owners may need to do if the province increases the minimum wage. He says many owners felt they’d need to take some drastic measures.
Out of the hundreds of business owners that responded to the survey, eight per cent said the sudden wage jump could force them to close. Miller says half of the people surveyed also advised against starting a new business in Ontario.
If the bill passes, it would increase the provincial minimum wage to $14 next year and then $15 in 2019. Miller says Bill 148 or the Fair Workplaces, Better Jobs Act is expected to be a hot topic when legislature resumes next week at Queen’s Park.