Durham and Asheville have programs that recognize employers who pay a living wage. Some are asking if it’s time for Orange County to follow suit.
Carl Rist is a member of the Durham People’s Alliance, and one of the leaders of the Durham Living Wage Project, a group that certifies businesses that pay employees a living wage.
“What we’re trying to do with the Living Wage Project is to raise the visibility in our community about the importance of businesses paying a living wage and by doing that, we want to bring attention and customers, we want to make this a marketing boost for firms that do pay their employees a living wage,” says Rist.
What constitutes a living wage varies from place to place. It’s calculated as the amount a worker needs to earn to afford basic necessities without relying on public assistance or other financial help.
The Durham Living Wage Project requires businesses to pay employees at least $12.33 an hour, or $10.85 if health insurance is included. In comparison, the state and federal minimum wage is currently $7.25 an hour.
Rist says nearly 50 Durham businesses have gained certification since the program kicked off last month, including several in traditionally low-wage industries such as food service, landscaping and pet-sitting.
“Our goal is by the end of the first year of this program to have 100 businesses in Durham that are certified living wage employers,” says Rist.
While some business owners might push back against the idea of raising wages, Rist says it’s possible to make a profit while paying workers more. He cites Monuts Donuts as an example.
“What Monuts Donuts has done is build in living wages as part of their business model,” says Rist. “What they want to do is do well by doing good by their employees and their customers, and so, not only have they built this into their model, it is part of how they market themselves to the community.”
The Durham program is based on a model first launched in Asheville in 2008. That initiative has grown to include several neighboring counties, with more than 300 participating businesses.
Here in Orange County, local governments, including the Towns of Carrboro and Chapel Hill, along with County government and the two school boards, have all adopted living wage policies that pay the lowest-earning employees a base rate of between $11-$13 dollars an hour.
Some local businesses, like Vimala’s Curryblossom Café in Chapel Hill, have made a public commitment to pay a living wage, but unlike in Durham and Asheville, there’s no formal list or method for becoming certified.
Rist says those interested in starting an Orange County version of the living wage project should consider building a broad base of support.
“I think it’s important to reach out to a range of businesses, professional as well as blue collar, local businesses and other businesses,” says Rist. “I think it’s good to have a range of businesses that reflect your community so that everyone can get behind it.”
Rist says he’s excited about the potential for regional collaboration if the living wage movement gains ground in the Triangle.
“If we can get efforts going in each of the counties in the Triangle- Orange Wake and Durham- there’s no reason we couldn’t have some kind of a region-wide alliance around living wages. It’d be great to have our region be the first living wage region in the country.”
With little action likely at the state or federal level to raise the minimum wage, Rist says community efforts to recognize and reward employers who are committed to paying living wages may be the best way to address the growing income gap in our area.
“We think this is a model that works and so we encourage you all in Orange County to engage,” says Rist.
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