Dear Lawmakers of North Carolina,

We, the undersigned, are Republicans, Independents, Democrats, and unaffiliated voters from Columbus County who are deeply concerned about persistently low wages in North Carolina and the effect these low wages have on ourselves, our families, our local businesses, and our communities.

We are writing to request that state lawmakers set aside partisan differences and come together across party lines to negotiate and pass a new wage floor for working people in North Carolina prior to the 2024 election.

Working North Carolinians want a stable wage floor. You want our vote. It’s time to make a deal.

The current wage floor in North Carolina is $7.25 an hour¹, which is $15,000 annually for full time work. The cost of living in Columbus County - one of the poorest counties in North Carolina - for an individual without children is $14.88 an hour², roughly $30,000 annually for full time work. For an individual with one child, it’s even higher - $32.24 an hour, or roughly $67,000 a year. The gap between what businesses are required by law to pay and what people need to meet their most basic needs is significant and growing. We are counting on you to close that gap.

As you know, workers in our state - particularly those in hourly positions - have limited power relative to employers to negotiate higher wages individually. As such, elected leaders must use the power given to them by voters to ensure that working people in our state receive a reasonable share of the proceeds of business as a matter of law. Ensuring that the success of North Carolina businesses is intrinsically tied to the prosperity of everyday North Carolinians should be a priority of every lawmaker in this state, regardless of their assorted political leanings.

While the specifics of a wage floor deal - the $, the implementation period, the indexing mechanism, and the tip credit question - require thoughtful deliberation, we are adamant in our cross-partisan desire to see those negotiations begin in earnest immediately. 

We look forward to your attention to this critical matter.

Respectfully,

The Undersigned

¹ https://www.labor.nc.gov/workplace-rights/employee-rights-regarding-time-worked-and-wages-earned/minimum-wage-nc
² https://livingwage.mit.edu/counties/37047