Orange County Living Wage is closing on Dec. 31

COMMUNITY NEWS

CHAPEL HILL—Orange County Living Wage (OCLW), a volunteer-driven, nonprofit organization that certifies, recognizes, and promotes Orange County businesses that pay a living wage and assist workers seeking living wage jobs, will close its operations on December 31. With governmental and philanthropic grants increasingly devoted to direct services, OCLW has been unable to secure the needed funding to sustain its mission of raising wages as a catalyst for the financial security of workers and the region’s economic development, according to an OCLW press release.

OCLW’s origins

An Orange County Democratic Party meeting in the living room of the former Carrboro Mayor Pro Tim Susan Romaine in early 2015 led to a discussion of how to help community members working full-time jobs who were still living in poverty.

The federal minimum wage was $7.25 then, which has not changed since 2009. This community discussion launched Orange County Living Wage (OCLW), which has since enrolled more than 300 local living wage businesses that employ more than 1,700 employees in Orange County.

This grassroots group of concerned citizens decided to model their project after two voluntary living wage programs in North Carolina — Just Economics of Western North Carolina (based in Asheville) and the Durham Living Wage Project.

Susan Romaine told TLR on Tuesday, “I’m proud of the unique role that OCLW has carved out in the community over the past decade in partnership with business owners, local governments, nonprofits, workers, consumers, and living wage advocates. For a scrappy, volunteer-driven nonprofit, our impact has been significant: over $3.5 million in higher wages for Orange County workers, with the extra cash going disproportionately into the pockets of women and workers of color. We now look forward to identifying new ways to build upon OCLW’s coalition in the ongoing fight for economic fairness and respect for all workers.”

What has happened since OCLW was founded

With a vision of economic fairness and respect for all workers, OCLW contributed to building a local economy where workers are paid fairly and employers are recognized for doing so. OCLW’s model calculates an annual living wage for Orange County workers, and local employers qualify for certification based on this living wage. According to the press release, employers remain in good standing for two years, after which they are encouraged to recertify at the prevailing rate.

This very simple model raised awareness of a living wage while creating a more just and sustainable local economy for workers, employers, and the broader community.

In these ten years:

the hourly living wage has increased from $12.75 in 2015 to $17.65 in 2024;
385 employers have been certified and 261 employers are on the living wage roster
today;
employers have reported raising wages by $3.5 million to qualify for certification;
almost 80% of employers routinely recertify including 70% of the original 2015
certifications;
certified employers today employ an average of 33 workers, and women make up 54% of
those workers and minorities make up 30%; and
Women, minorities, or workers own 33% of today’s certified businesses.

Is there a future for their vision?

“We are incredibly proud of the work we have done in partnership with key stakeholders in the community,” said Everly. “The dedication of our certified living wage employers, donors, advocates, and volunteers has been inspiring, and it is their commitment that has made our mission a reality. While we are saddened by this closure, we are grateful for the lasting change we have created as a community.”

OCLW is now exploring ways to build on that lasting change by partnering in a broader coalition devoted to not just a minimum wage that is a living wage but other key state and county-wide initiatives benefiting workers such as access to affordable health care, daycare, housing, and transit.

Michelle Cassell is a seasoned reporter who has covered everything from crime to hurricanes and local politics to human interest over the course of 35 years. As managing editor, she hopes to encourage writers of a wide range of backgrounds and interests in TLR’s coverage of Southern Orange County news.
This reporter can be reached at Info@TheLocalReporter.press