Some athletes in Nova Scotia no longer entitled to minimum wage
Posted Jul 5, 2016 06:45:17 AM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
HALIFAX – Athletes who are considered to be employees of teams will now be exempt from minimum wage in Nova Scotia.
The province on Monday announced the amendments to the General Labour Standards Code Regulations and the Minimum Wage Order, citing the “uniqueness” of the sporting world which sees players receive other forms of compensation like training or free equipment.
“”These changes strike a balance,” said Labour Minister Kelly Regan in a statement, adding players will still receive protections around discrimination and child care “while allowing for alternate ways of compensation.”
This change will affect young athletes playing for Canadian Major Junior teams, including the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles and the Halifax Mooseheads.
Mooseheads owner and President Bobby Smith addressed the news in the same statement, saying “paying minimum wage for all the athletes’ time, including practice or travel, would make it difficult for teams to operate. We want to ensure our athletes continue to have opportunities to develop athletically and play sports for Nova Scotia-based teams.”
The Canadian Hockey League Player’s Association released a statement of it’s own on Monday, rebuking the changes while adding it will be seeking legal opinion in an effort to launch a challenge of the amendments.
“The CHLPA is appalled at the parliamentary system which clearly enables for-profit businesses to operate without paying a fair wage to players,” said CHLPA Founder Glenn Gumbley in the statement. “These laws only open up the door for other industries, such as McDonalds or Burger King who might look to classify their chefs as being in training to not pay them a fair wage because they are earning an education in cooking.”
Athletes who fall under these new stipulations will still receive:
- protection against discrimination
- leave of absence protections
- equal pay for men and women
- child care protections
In addition to being exempt from minimum wage, those athletes will also no longer be eligible for:
- vacation and holiday pay
- defined hours of work
- protections around the termination of employment
Smith says these changes will help ensure the tradition of Major Junior hockey continues in Nova Scotia.
“We want to ensure our athletes continue to have opportunities to develop athletically and play sports for Nova Scotia-based teams.”
The province said the changes are effective immediately.
