Letter: Petition state legislators to increase minimum wage

Graphic by Lori Deaton

An essential conversation the Mountain Xpress needs to intensify its reporting on is the minimum wage in North Carolina — an issue that directly affects a third of the state’s workforce and disproportionately impacts people of color and women.

The current minimum of $7.25/hour (or $15,080/year) is $1,000 below the federal poverty line for one adult and one child. In other words, a single parent working full time at this rate cannot raise even one child out of poverty. A family of three requires at least $21.95/hour, along with a frugal budget, in order to sustain themselves without public assistance.

Especially in Asheville, where ongoing positive publicity has been drawing in tourists and new residents with ever more potential for growth and wealth, it is necessary that this prosperity is intentionally, systematically and consistently shared with all who are employed in the region.

The first step toward change is to petition state legislative leaders. Cities and counties cannot increase the minimum wage at the local level; it must be a statewide effort. Sign the petition at raisingwagesnc.org. There you can also get facts and stories.

Poverty can be an isolating, vulnerable, stressful position; try talking to your co-workers, neighbors and community contacts. What are their experiences? Does your manager or boss know how their employees are living? Economic progress coexists with social, environmental and racial justice.

One example: The minimum wage in 1968 was $1.60/hour ($11.64/hour in 2017 dollars, using the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ inflation calculator). This inadequate pay, along with unsafe conditions and racial discrimination, led to the Memphis sanitation strike — a now-infamous event in the civil rights movement and one we remember 50 years ago to the month.

In solidarity, as a community, let’s make economic stability a reality.

— Danielle Burke
Asheville

Editor’s note: We appreciate this suggestion. As you write in your letter, the minimum wage is established by the N.C. General Assembly, and municipalities do not have the legal ability to set different standards within their jurisdictions. Thus, as a locally focused publication, our ability to report on the policy aspects of this issue is limited. However, the local implications of the existing minimum wage is a topic we may explore in the future; thank you for highlighting it.

SHARE

Thanks for reading through to the end…

We share your inclination to get the whole story. For the past 25 years, Xpress has been committed to in-depth, balanced reporting about the greater Asheville area. We want everyone to have access to our stories. That’s a big part of why we've never charged for the paper or put up a paywall.

We’re pretty sure that you know journalism faces big challenges these days. Advertising no longer pays the whole cost. Media outlets around the country are asking their readers to chip in. Xpress needs help, too. We hope you’ll consider signing up to be a member of Xpress. For as little as $5 a month — the cost of a craft beer or kombucha — you can help keep local journalism strong. It only takes a moment.

About Letters
We want to hear from you! Send your letters and commentary to letters@mountainx.com

Before you comment

The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.

6 thoughts on “Letter: Petition state legislators to increase minimum wage

  1. Lulz

    LOL fast food pays 9 and hour. You accomplish nothing except more muh feels liberal moral crusade preening lulz.

  2. Enlightened Enigma

    minimum wage jobs are not meant to be sustainable for raising children…never have been, never will be.

  3. jason

    Minimum wage is for teenagers and part time jobs. It was never meant for adults to support families. Like it or not, the problem is with an under or uneducated workforce that have no marketable skills, unreliable and really just bad employees.

    • luther blissett

      “It was never meant for adults to support families.”

      And yet that’s where we are. Can’t keep repeating the “Ingles bagger” line without sounding ridiculous.

      “Like it or not, the problem is with an under or uneducated workforce”

      Nope, it’s four decades of wage stagnation while profits are diverted to the rich and wealth flows to those who make money from capital instead of labor.

  4. jason

    ALL our elected officials are for sale to the highest bidders; how or why do you think it would possible for them to enact laws that dont benefit they’re campaign finance donors

Leave a Reply

To leave a reply you may Login with your Mountain Xpress account, connect socially or enter your name and e-mail. Your e-mail address will not be published. All fields are required.