The Napanee Beer Company, one of the region’s best-regarded breweries, has committed to paying its staff members at least a “Living Wage,” rather than the Ontario minimum wage, as defined by the Ontario Living Wage Network (OLWN).
The OLWN uses data collected from across the province to determine the “actual Living Wage” for many regions across the province, reflecting “what people need to earn to cover the actual costs of living in their community.” The current living wage for the Kingston region is $17.57 an hour, according to the OLWN, which is the minimum hourly amount that a two parent household, with both adults working full time, would need to earn to support their family. As a Certified Living Wage Employer, Napanee Beer also commits to increasing their minimum wage as the OLWN updates their regional living wage.
“When I opened The Napanee Beer Company back in 2016, I had a few goals: make great beer, have fun, etc, but one of the most important to me and my family was that we were a positive part of our community. We were determined to be the kind of employer that we would want to work for,” writes Geordan Saunders, Founder and Brewer at Napanee Beer. “To commit to paying your team a wage on which they are able to live — not struggle, or hustle, but live seems like a no brainer.”
Napanee Beer joins a handful of other Ontario breweries who have committed to paying their teams a living wage; they are also the only business in Greater Napanee to be recognized as a Living Wage Employer by the Ontario Living Wage Network.