Wednesday, March 11, 2009

ACC12: Chapter 16 Article

http://www.edmontonsun.com/News/Alberta/2009/03/05/8633386-sun.html

Summary

“Alberta’s minimum wage increases” is an article written by Kerry Diotte from the Edmonton Sun. On April 1, 2009, citizens of Alberta will have an increase in minimum wage of $0.40. From the current minimum wage of $8.40 in Alberta, Alberta’s minimum wage will increase to $8.80. This increase in minimum wage will make Alberta the province with the second highest minimum wage. Alberta won’t take second for too long, because in a couple of months other provinces like Ontario, Quebec, Saskatchewan, and Newfoundland will all have a higher minimum wage, with Ontario have the highest minimum wage of $9.50. Many people have different views of minimum wage. Employees will always want it higher while employers think the lower the better.

Connection

The connection between the article, “Alberta’s minimum wage increases” and chapter 16 of the accounting 12 textbook is wages. Wages are the payment that a worker earns for his or her labour. The article talks about the minimum wage an employee earns for their labour on an hourly basis in Alberta and compares it to other province’s minimum wages. In section 16.1 in the accounting text book, it gives the general meaning of wages and how much a worker gets paid for a period of time. An employee loses some of his payment for his labour if he is late and earns more money if he is paid commissions. Paying wages is what keeps employees working and businesses running.

Reflection

I think that increasing the minimum wage in Alberta isn’t the best thing to happen. The increase in wages will make it so more people are able to buy more stuff, but this is only for people who are earning less than $8.80 per hours in Alberta. Increasing the minimum wage will cause the gap between people who are earning over $8.80 in Alberta and the people earning the minimum wage in Alberta less. People who had to work hard for a raise might get discourage because everyone earning minimum wage in Alberta will get a raise of $0.40 an hour on April 1 for doing nothing. This is also bad for employers because they are paying more for the same quality of work. Increasing the minimum wage might cause a few businesses to lay off people because of the increase in minimum wage during a recession. The increase in minimum wage for Alberta is a discouraging thing for employees earning over minimum wage, bad for employers who aren’t doing well in business, but a good thing to those who are earning minimum wage in Alberta.

4 comments:

Shayne552 said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Shayne552 said...

Sam, I think that it is great that everyone Alberta is raising the minimum wage. I also find it remarkable that the minimum wage in Ontario is $9.50. I have friends working at McDonalds in the $8 range and I can't believe they are getting paid so low. I hope that someday soon the minimum wage will be boosted throughout all of the provinces, unfortunately with the recent recession and the fact that jobs are getting harder to keep, I don’t think that British Columbia or many other provinces will be getting an increase on their minimum wage. Nevertheless, I still hope that British Columbia’s minimum wage will be pushed forward.

-Shayne C.

S3nny 13oy said...

I think this is great news for employees because they will have a higher pay cheque. I am really surprise by the extremely high minimum wages in Ontario. It is really high compare to BC's minimum wage. I also find it surprising that Alberta is raising minimum during the recession. Instead of lowering wages, they are raising it! That is awnsome. I really wish that BC's minimum wages would go up.

John said...

Sam,

I do not agree with you whatsoever, well I shouldn’t say that because to some degree I do see it in your point of view, but to me, a young 17 teenage boy, a minimum wage increase from 8.40 to 8.80 is something to be celebrated. I realize what you say is true, but to be honest I don’t agree. This is a tremendous increase in my opinion and I think it is a good way to conquer the state of economy that we are in. Raising wages will increase the already heightened consumer confidence of youngsters. Since the minimum wages increases and minimum wages mostly affects new job finders and those new job finders are usually the younger part of society, they will spend more and more of what they earn thus increasing our economy slightly and breaking the chain of the depression state.