Why paying a Living Wage matters at the British Columbia Museums Association

In this short blog, Leia Patterson, Executive Director from the BC Museums Association explains why they became a Living Wage Employer, and the benefits they’ve found from being part of the program.

The BC Museums Association (BCMA) was founded in 1957 to support a thriving arts, culture, and heritage sector through collaboration, networking, advocacy, innovation, and professional development. Since our founding, the BCMA has grown to include more than 450 members in every corner of British Columbia including museums, art galleries, science centres, Indigenous cultural organizations, First Nations, heritage sites, and a wide range of other institutions created in the public interest. At its fullest, the BCMA has a total of 6 staff members working remotely across the province.

We have been a Living Wage Employer since 2023. BCMA became a living wage employer because it aligns with our organizational values and demonstrates to our members our commitment to sustainable staffing, equity, and respect for our workers. Arts, Culture, and Heritage work is often precarious and many organizations that we support are also non-profits. Fair compensation is an integral part of creating an equitable and supportive working environment and the BCMA will continue to work with our dedicated staff to ensure that we are actioning our commitment to equity in our own internal working conditions.

Since becoming a Living Wage Employer, we’ve noticed real, positive changes in our workplace. Our team are engaged and active in seeking ways to help our membership support their own staff and it has become a passion project for our team.

The living wage is the hourly amount someone needs to earn to pay for basic essentials like food and rent, it doesn’t include paying off debt or saving for retirement. Since becoming a Living Wage Employer, BCMA has added extended health benefits, and are looking to enroll in a Pension Plan to create more positive support and compensation for our staff. Without our staff we cannot reach our goals and supporting them to achieve a higher quality of life is a benefit to us all.

Paying a Living Wage doesn’t just benefit our team, it strengthens the local economy and helps families thrive. We’re proud to be part of a movement that’s making a difference across British Columbia. Our remote staff join the BCMA from a variety of communities, and we ensure that each of them receives, at minimum, the living wage for their area.

We encourage others to join us in becoming Living Wage Employers. Together, we can create a fairer, more sustainable future for everyone.

Certifying as a Living Wage Employer is a voluntary commitment employers make to invest in their communities and local economies. There are now over 500 Living Wage Employers across BC.

Find out more about the BC Museums Association on their website: https://museum.bc.ca/