PROCLAMATION
“LIVING WAGE DAY”
WHEREAS, chronic poverty is one of the biggest challenges for communities to address; and
WHEREAS, the federal minimum wage has been set at $7.25 since 2009, and has lost nearly 10% of its value due to cost of living increases; and the costs of housing, food, child care, and health care have increased substantially in the eight years since the federal minimum was last raised; and
WHEREAS, many workers in Orange County make less than a living wage; and
WHEREAS, a living wage can lift workers out of poverty; and
WHEREAS, with a living wage, more workers can afford to live in Orange County and/or spend money locally; and
WHEREAS, employers who pay their workers a living wage report substantially less turnover, better job performance, and higher levels of positive customer engagement; and
WHEREAS, Orange County Living Wage is a voluntary non-profit 501(c)3 organization founded in August 2015 to promote a living wage in Orange County, North Carolina; their goals are to reward and recognize employers based in Orange County who pay their workers a living wage, provide employers with incentives to pay a living wage, and connect consumers to employers that provide a living wage and encourage them to become customers, patients, clients of those businesses and organizations; and
WHEREAS, Orange County Living Wage has certified 126 employers who voluntarily pay a living wage; and
WHEREAS, Orange County Living Wage plans a month-long campaign in September to encourage people to do business with living wage certified employers; and
WHEREAS, Labor Day is a national holiday in recognition of the contributions of workers to our economy.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that I, Lydia E. Lavelle, Mayor of the Town of Carrboro, North Carolina, (a living-wage-certified employer) do hereby proclaim Labor Day, September 4, 2017 as “Living Wage Day” in the Town of Carrboro and I encourage consumers to support businesses paying their workers a living wage.
This the 25th day of August 2017.
