ECEs to finally earn living wages - in Manitoba, anyway

Author Elisha Dacey

As the spouse of an early childhood educator, I’ve ranted (including in this space) about the lack of living wages for those who work with our youngest and most vulnerable.

Across Canada, with the exception of NWT and Yukon, most ECEs earn below a living wage, especially those on the front lines – administrators tend to be paid better. (Note that I didn’t say well.)

So I was delighted on Friday when the Manitoba provincial government, along with the feds, announced that it was adjusting the ECE wage grid up. A lot.

Every Manitoba ECE will now make more than the current provincial estimated living wage. That even includes CCAs, or those who are uncertified but working in daycares.

Now, most daycares in Manitoba aren’t unionized, and the wage grid is a target, not a guarantee – daycare operators have to implement the increases. But it’s good news to see the skills and hard work of ECEs recognized and living wages being funded.

Other things happening in the news this week:

Carleton University has a new philanthropy chair – the first of its kind in Canada, which I hope will help see the advocacy efforts of the non-profit sector increase.

StatsCan released some interesting data around watching videos (the TikTok kind) and wellbeing; have a perusal.

And of course, we released our Changemaker Wellbeing Index Thursday, and it was covered by outlets big and small, for which we are profoundly grateful. Here’s our own coverage, and we’ll be diving deeper into the numbers over the coming weeks to look at the impacts on various non-profit and social services sectors.

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  • Elisha Dacey is a seasoned journalist with more than two decades of experience in the field. She has worked in various newsrooms across Canada, ranging from small-town papers to major outlets like CBC Manitoba and Global News. Dacey began her journalism career in Manitoba and has held roles such as managing editor, senior producer and digital online journalist. Notably, she launched Metro Winnipeg, the city’s only free daily newspaper, which quickly became the second most-read paper in Winnipeg.

    Elisha Dacey is the Managing Editor for Future of Good.

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