The Caledon Institute has released a policy paper, Canadians Need a Medium-Term Sickness/Disability Income Benefit (in PDF) discussing the possibility of a new sickness or disability benefit. The paper examines the current relationship between Employment Insurance (EI) sickness benefits and Canada Pension Plan (CPP) disability benefits, and explores possibilities for stronger linkages between these programs.

New Brunswick will be increasing the minimum wage to $7.75 and will continue to review the wage at least once a year to bring the wage in line with standards of living. (Read more on CBC, "N.B.'s minimum wage to increase by 50 cents".) Although after the hike, New Brunswick will no longer have the lowest minimum wage in Canada, some advocates say it still does not account for inflation or for a decent standard of living. Read a CCPA report from March 2007, Bringing Minimum Wages Above the Poverty Line (in PDF) that shows provincial governments have allowed the value of minimum wages to be eaten away by inflation for too long.

CUPE has published a short but thorough overview of low wage work in Canada by province and demographic group. Read "Low paid work still widespread in Canada" on the CUPE website.