Why paying a Living Wage matters at Migrant Workers Centre 

In this short blog, Daniel Silveyra, Director of Operations at Migrant Workers Centre, explains why the organization became a Living Wage Employer, and the benefits they’ve found from being part of the program. 

Migrant Workers Centre is a Vancouver-based non-profit organization that supports migrant workers in British Columbia through free legal services, system navigation, education, counselling, and policy advocacy. We currently employ 16 staff and three contractors across legal, outreach, counselling, and operations roles, and work closely with community partners throughout the province. 

We have been an official Living Wage Employer since 2025, though we became compliant in 2023. We chose to become a Living Wage Employer because our mission is rooted in dignity, fairness, and economic justice, and we believe those values must begin with our own employment practices. 

Since becoming a Living Wage Employer, we’ve noticed real, positive changes in our workplace. Paying a living wage helps reduce financial stress for staff, improves retention, and allows our team to focus fully on delivering high-quality services to migrant workers. As an organization that works daily with people facing precarious work and income insecurity, it is important to us that our own staff are not experiencing those same pressures. In addition to paying a living wage, we offer benefits such as extended health coverage, a pension plan, paid sick leave, and a supportive, flexible work environment. 

Paying a Living Wage doesn’t just benefit our team; it strengthens the local economy and helps families meet their basic needs. We’re proud to be part of a movement that’s making a difference across Vancouver and British Columbia, and that aligns with our broader work to improve labour standards and access to justice for workers. 

We encourage other organizations to join us in becoming Living Wage Employers. Together, we can help create fairer, more stable workplaces and a more sustainable future for our communities. 

Certifying as a Living Wage Employer is a voluntary commitment employers make to invest in their communities and local economies. There are now over 450 Living Wage Employers across British Columbia. 

The living wage is the hourly amount someone needs to earn to cover basic essentials like food, rent, and transportation. It does not include paying off debt or saving for retirement. The Living Wage for Vancouver is currently $27.85 per hour, as calculated by Living Wage for Families BC. 

Find out more about Migrant Workers Centre on our website: https://mwcbc.ca