Orange County Living Wage, a nonprofit that certifies Orange County employers who pay their workers a living wage, aims to reach 200 employers this year.
A living wage is defined as the minimum amount that a worker must earn to afford their basic necessities, without public or private assistance such as food stamps, according to OCLW.
OCLW certified its first employer in July 2015. Its mission is to certify and promote living wage employment in Orange County, which OCLW defines as $14.25 per hour.
Susan Romaine, chairperson of OCLW’s Steering Committee, said if an employer provides at least half of the employee's health insurance benefits, then the living wage is $12.75 per hour. Romaine said they are proud that not only have they certified 170 employers, but also that some of these employers needed to lift wages in order to qualify. After the program's first year, there were only 54 employers that were certified.
“Among the 170 employers on our roster, some have lifted wages to the tune of over $706,000,” she said.
She said lifting wages can improve local economy.
“Their workers get their pay raised, and typically what happens is they’re going to go out and buy things or fix things,” she said. “So there is $706,000 increase in wage over the last three and a half years, and it actually translates into $2.3 million in our regional economy.”
Scott Conary, president of the Carrboro Coffee Roasters, said they have always focused on keeping up their wages. Carrboro Coffee Roasters, a local small-batch artisan roaster, joined OCLW as the 169th certified employer.
“Hiring professionals, or even creating professionals, you have to pay them appropriately to get to that level," Conary said. "And really just, for a community to thrive, it starts with individuals being able to afford to live in the community. There was not a second thought about making sure that is a primary focus of the company.”
