There is no income requirement as such for spousal sponsorship. You just need to make sure you are not on social assistance.
But as a PR you MUST be residing in Canada when you file the application. So when you plan to file your wife's PR application, get to Canada and get a job there. Only after you are in Canada and you prove that you plan to stay there should you file. If not you run the risk of getting rejected in Stage 1. Get a home or rent and show your rental agreement. Any other long term evidence will also be good.
Only Citizens are allowed to be outside Canada when sponsoring a spouse or child.
Given the strike action, I can only say file asap. There will definitely be a lot of backlog now and it will only keep piling up as long as the strike is ongoing. We don't know when it will end. We don't know when even the 2012 applicants will be through. There is nobody here that can give you a definite answer.
The only thing you can do is get to canada, get a job etc and file the application.
Good luck!