While county relief has heretofore been available only in the form of low-interest loans, businesses will now be able to seek grants of $5,000 to hire or rehire employees at a living wage. Staff had previously believed such a grant program to be illegal but had since received updated guidance from the UNC School of Government.
“Tourism must shrink as a proportion of our local economy. We have to start building the foundation on which a new, less tourist-dependent Asheville can thrive.”
“In order to house, clothe and feed your family with an income that insulting, you need support from subsidized housing, subsidized transport, food banks and other charities.”
“As real estate prices climb and cost of living goes up and up, the only solution is to pay workers more.”
Local nonprofit Just Economics increased its living wage rates for 2019. For those employees not offered employer-sponsored health insurance benefits, the new hourly rate is $13.65; for those offered health insurance, the new hourly rate is $12.15.
“Only by your vote can the needs of the people be taken seriously.”
“It’s time someone asked whether we get our money’s worth from these corporate handouts.”
“If Asheville wants to be serious about being progressive, about showing up for the members of our community and not just those passing through for the weekend, we need to push Raleigh to overturn the pre-emption law. “
The Buncombe County Young Democrats and the Asheville Sustainable Restaurant Workforce hosted a forum for Asheville City Council candidates this week that probed issues affecting the city’s population of restaurant and hospitality workers.
“She is a born leader, and her whole life has been a preparation for this opportunity to represent all of the citizens of Asheville.”
“She is a critical thinker and is willing to break problems down to look at the smallest details in order to find a solution.”
“North Carolina continues to use the federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour, or an annual income of $15,080 for a full-time worker — $1,000 below the federal poverty level. This doesn’t seem right — but what can we do about it?”
“Dee Williams supports sustainable policies for all the people of Asheville, such as a living-wage minimum and affordable housing.”
“If a business pays living rather than starvation wages, it raises the level of economic activity — which would tend to increase hiring — and reduces the tax levied on us all for subsidized housing and transport, food banks and the like — which would tend to increase economic activity and hence hiring.”
“A business that does not pay a living wage is simply ignoring part of the true costs of its operations and leaving the rest of us to pick up the tab — subsidized housing and transport, food banks and the like are all taxes, no more and no less.”
In an unusually philosophical discussion of items in Council’s consent agenda, the elected board took on the war on drugs and the city’s role in promoting — or not — living wages through its agreements with private contractors.
“This legislation negatively impacts the well-being of all North Carolinians.”
Through policy advocacy and grassroots leadership development, the members of Just Economics of Western North Carolina marked several items off the organization’s 2015 to-do list. Among the most notable: getting the city’s living-wage policy extended to include part-time, temporary and seasonal employees and the implementation of Sunday bus service through Asheville Redefines Transit. “Our mission is […]
It’s taken for granted in our culture that tipping the server or bartender is inherent to the experience of dining and drinking out. However, a recent move by the owners of Blue Dream Curry House may indicate that changes are coming to Asheville’s restaurant scene.
