Alberta's New Democratic Party
(NDP) government is moving forward on its 2015
campaign promise to raise minimum wage to $15-per-hour by 2018. The
raise to $15-per-hour is being applied incrementally. On October 1,
2015, Alberta's minimum wage rose from $10.20 to $11.20. For
those who serve liquor, the minimum wage rose from $9.20 to $10.70.
The next wage increase is scheduled for October, 2016 and will
increase the minimum wage by $1 to $12.20-per-hour. The following
two increases will occur in October 2017 and 2018.
The upcoming minimum wage increase will apply
to employees in almost every industry, including the liquor service
industry (thus eliminating the minimum wage differential for those
who serve liquor). However, certain employees will remain exempt
from the minimum wage requirement. Those employees include but are
not limited to real estate brokers, farm employees, and insurance
sales persons.