Why This Fredericton Restaurant Was Already Paying Higher Than Minimum Wage
FREDERICTON— On October 1, the minimum wage increased in New Brunswick by $1 to $13.75 an hour — now the highest in Atlantic Canada.
Just behind New Brunswick are Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland both sitting at $13.70. Nova Scotia is 10 cents behind at $13.60 after a recent 25 cents increase.
Stephen Rae, the owner of Rocket Burger located in downtown Fredericton, said the province’s decision to raise the minimum wage will not affect his business.
Rocket Burger made a job posting at the beginning of September offering new hires $16 an hour – but Rae said this is not something new. Since he opened the business’ brick-and-mortar location in 2019, he has always paid his employees higher than minimum wage.
When Rae first opened his business, the minimum wage in the province was $11.50 but he paid $15 an hour.
“I was always a big proponent of paying a fair wage when I was younger,” said Rae.
Rocket Burger originally started at the Northside market on weekends, which grew their popularity within the city. Their burgers won both the 2018 and 2019 Burger Battle and then expanded into a downtown location from there.
He supported the NDP and Green Party’s minimum wage stance and anyone else who was an advocate for raising the minimum wage and treating workers fairly.
“When I opened up my restaurant, I said,’ Well, I have to practice what I preach.’”
Since the opening of Rocket Burger in August 2019, Rae has raised his employees’ hourly wage by a dollar and says he might raise it again due to the province’s increase.
On top of offering an extra almost $3 higher than minimum wage, Rae was able to offer his employees full health care benefits and lives by a four-day work week, allowing his employees to have three days off. Rae notices his business has a high retention rate and that his staff rarely call in sick to their shifts.
“It’s not because they don’t get sick, it’s just sometimes you just don’t feel like going to work so you call in sick,” said Rae. “I hope that we’ve created an environment that they just like coming to work.”
Since Rocket Burger opened, they have not had an issue with staffing either.
With the province’s increase, Rae said this will not affect his business and will keep operating as it has.
“Obviously inflation affects everybody and not just me,” said Rae. “I think that employers don’t think about that, they increase their prices as inflation hits them but they don’t think about their employees.”
“They don’t think about how much it affects them and we should be raising wages equivalent to inflation.”
Rocket Burger employees also receive about $4 to $6 an hour in tips once they are divided among the staff members, which increases their income.
Other food service locations are offering higher than minimum wage, such as Tim Hortons. This week, a job posting was made looking for a full-time team member with a starting rate of $14.25 per hour. There was a second posting for a supervisor with a base rate of $14.50 and an extra $1 shift premium starting rate.
While New Brunswickers are receiving the highest hourly wage after the increases last weekend, this will not be the case for long. According to the Retail Council of Canada, the province of Nova Scotia is in the process of a five-step plan to raise the minimum wage to $15 by April 1, 2024.
Newfoundland is also currently in the process of a three-step plan to increase the wage to $15 an hour by April 1, 2024. PEI will increase their minimum wage to $14.50 at the end of this year on Jan. 1 and another increase to $15 on Oct. 1, 2023.
Jessica Saulnier is an intern for Huddle. Send her feedback or tips: [email protected]