It would seem that Ms. Eisler is upset by many more things than minimum wages (Wages should match cost of living, Gazette, Oct. 8), judging from her response to my letter.
However, I see nothing that refutes my position at “wages should be left to the law of supply and demand.” Using her example of a ridiculously low wage, there would obviously be no supply of workers. And at some considerably higher figure, perhaps mandated by government, not as many jobs to be offered.
My point is simply that it should not be the role of governments to dictate what employers must pay.
A quick glance at the varying labour rates in northern Alberta within certain industries illustrates that wages are in fact commensurate with the cost of living. For example, wages paid to workers in the fast food industries in Fort McMurray and Grande Prairie are probably 50 per cent higher than Edmonton. Obviously this is due mostly to a higher cost of living. It is a perfect example of the law of supply and demand at work.
One final note, Ms Eisler states assertively that “wages for most people have not gone up for 30 years.” I’m not so sure about that statistic.
Steve Knobbe, St. Albert
