Robert Land Academy is Niagara’s Latest Certified Living Wage Employer
The Niagara Poverty Reduction Network is pleased to announce that Robert Land Academy has become a certified living wage employer at the Champion level.
Robert Land Academy (RLA) is Canada’s only military-themed private boarding school for boys. They were established in 1978 and are a not-for-profit organization run by a volunteer Board of Governors. The school’s military theme forms the basis of their highly structured program with an emphasis on academic remediation, university admission and the development of the self-care, self-discipline, and self-direction required for successful adulthood. The structure at RLA benefits most boys, especially those not finding success in the traditional school system. They employ approximately 70 staff members including senior staff and administration, two nurses, teachers, kitchen staff, maintenance staff, and operations staff who supervise the boys when they are not in class.
“I am proud that Robert Land Academy is a Living Wage employer. Our employees are part of the RLA family and we are genuinely interested in their welfare. The work our employees do at the Academy is valued and an important part of the Academy’s continued success. This is why I took the initiative to become a Living Wage employer. I am optimistic that being a Living Wage employer will attract great employees who want to stay at the Academy, providing us with high-quality, long-term employees who can be promoted to more senior positions,” says Lieutenant Colonel (retired) Ryan Smid, Headmaster at Robert Land Academy.
“We are pleased to see many local employers who recognize the value and benefits of paying at least a living wage. Paying a living wage takes direct action to address poverty and to help people afford their cost of living expenses,” says Aidan Johnson, Chair of the Niagara Poverty Reduction Network.
A living wage reflects what earners need to be paid based on the actual costs of living and being included in the community. A living wage is not the same as the legislated minimum wage. It is a voluntary commitment that employers can make to compensate directly employed and contract employed full-time and part-time workers. The 2019 living wage for the Niagara region has been calculated to be $18.12/hour. If an employer’s total compensation package includes benefits such as dental and prescription drugs, the living wage can be lowered by at least $1.00/hour.
Learn more about Niagara’s living wage at www.wipeoutpoverty.ca. Niagara-area employers
interested in becoming living wage certified can contact the Ontario Living Wage Network for more information at www.ontariolivingwage.ca
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The Niagara Poverty Reduction Network is a collective of over 30 agencies and individuals working to wipe out poverty in Niagara through education, collaboration, and advocacy to address poverty’s root causes.
Media Contacts:
Aidan Johnson, Chair, Niagara Poverty Reduction Network
Phone: 905-682-6635
E-mail: johnsona@lao.on.ca
Sarah Whitaker, Executive Assistant, Robert Land Academy
Phone: swhitaker@rla.ca
E-mail: 905-386-6203 ext. 228
