'Real loss for the community': Looking back on Orange County Living Wage's impact

At an Orange County Democratic Party precinct meeting in 2015, Susan Romaine and other members were brainstorming ways to uplift community members living in poverty.

The meeting members decided that state and federal lobbying would take too long, so they started to think about alternative ways to raise wages across the county. 

Romaine and her colleagues found two voluntary living wage programs in North Carolina: Just Economics in Asheville and the Durham Living Wage Project. They chose to replicate a similar initiative for Orange County, which ultimately became Orange County Living Wage. 

On Dec. 31, 2024, Orange County Living Wage officially ended its operations. At the time of its closing, 261 businesses were living wage certified, with over 8,500 employees receiving a living wage. 

Over the last 10 years, the nonprofit certified employers and focused on educating and advocating for the community. 

OCLW used the Universal Living Wage formula, which is based on the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's standard that no more than 30 percent of a person's gross income should be used on housing. 

Romaine, the OCLW's founder, and her team calculated that the living wage for Orange County in 2015 was $12.75 an hour — $5 more an hour than the state's minimum wage. 

Now, 10 years later, the minimum wage in North Carolina remains the same at $7.25. However, OCLW calculated an updated living wage of $17.65 an hour in the Orange County area in 2024.

Despite that, the organization reported that over 10 years, Orange County wages had risen by $3.5 million.

“That extra cash in the pockets of low-wage workers and working families helped to pay for a haircut, a car or phone repair, or a utility bill,” Romaine said in an email. “That part of the work was hugely satisfying.”

Romaine said the organization was volunteer-driven from the start. She said volunteers did everything from working on certifications and reviewing applications to working on social media and distributing certification materials to employers. 

John Sherer, the Spangler Family Director for UNC Press, a living wage certified business, said the company's living wage certification legitimized their commitment to supporting their employees. 

“[Certification] helped us to feel like we weren't simply taking advantage of people and paying them the least we could,” Sherer said. “We were trying to make sure we were paying people what was a reasonable living wage.”

Becoming certified was also a way for employers to implement their values into their business models, OCLW board member and co-founder of Big Spoon Roasters Megan Overbay said. 

“We wanted to make sure that anybody who works full time should have a roof over their head, food on the table and health care,” Overbay said. “We just think that those are basic human rights.”

Gray Squirrel Coffee Co. employee Oliver Gibson said the company's living wage certification made him prioritize Gray Squirrel as a potential employer. 

“[Certification] definitely made me more confident in the culture of this place as a place that respects its employees, which is something that I was really looking for,” Gibson said. “Everyone's worked exploitative jobs before, and I really didn't want that.” 

Even though the OCLW is closing, both Romaine and Overbay said the team would not give up their efforts but would instead focus more on advocacy. 

Romaine said potential avenues for the team include advocating for increased minimum wages, paid overtime and sick leave as well as investigating ways to manage the high cost of living in Orange County.

Romaine said the living wage businesses certified by Orange County Living Wage received information about national certifications from a new national program called Living Wage For US.

The OCLW website currently has a directory of all of the living wage certified businesses. The directory will remain live until 2026 so community members can continue to support businesses that provide a living wage, Romaine said.

“[Orange County] feels like the type of place that needs [the program] more than a lot of other places,” Sherer said. “So I think it's a real loss for the community."

@sdanbarry

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