Orange County, via both public and private employers, has been making significant strides in extending living wages to people who work in our communities. Here's the latest:
- Orange County Board of Commissioners approves policy encouraging contractors to pay a living wage.
- While the North Carolina General Assembly's House Bill 74 made it illegal for municipalities to require vendors/contractors to pay a living wage, and the recently passed House Bill 2 reinforced that ban, the county commissioners approved a policy to encourage vendors and contractors with the county to pay a living wage. While a living wage cannot be required, vendors and contractors will be required to "submit a statement indicating whether the employees who will perform work on the Orange County contract are paid at least the living wage amount. If such employees do not make at least $12.76 per hour, the contractor or vendor will be asked to indicate in the statement the actual amount paid to such employees. For bid projects, this statement would be submitted as part of the bid packet."
- With its proposed fiscal year 2017 budget, the Carrboro Board of Alderpersons is on track to meet its goal of extending living wage to all employees ahead of schedule and becoming a certified living wage employer though the the Orange County Living Wage project.
- With its fiscal year 2017 budget, the Chapel Hill Town Council extends its living wage policy to part-time, temporary, and seasonal employees, also becoming a certified living wage employer.
- The Orange County Living Wage project reached $526,240 in lifted wages in less than a year in existence.
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