Procedural Fairness: Minimum Wage or Minimum Democratic Governance?

Abstract

This article critically examines the Ontario government announcing in its 2007 budget that it would increase the minimum wage incrementally, the last hike to occur in March 2010. In March 2009, Premier McGuinty met with business leaders in a private, behind closed doors meeting. News of this leaked out revealing that he stated that he might cancel the remaining increases given economic conditions. Pressed by reporters to explain his apparent flip flop, and shamed by the lack of transparency, he reversed himself again saying this: When we talk about the minimum wage, we have to ask ourselves what it is that we owe both our workers and employers. I think clearly we owe them fairness. Our commitment was to get $10.25 an hour one year from now and we will honour that commitment. This article will review the procedural fairness issues arising in this scenario including both the legal definition and the political implications for democratic governance.