RALEIGH, N.C. – Thousands of North Carolinians enjoyed a welcome reprieve from work during the long Labor Day weekend, but many of them are returning to work today, making less money than they need to pay their basic bills.

The minimum wage in North Carolina is $7.25 an hour, about $5 short of what some consider a living wage in the state.

Marybe McMillan, secretary-treasurer of North Carolina AFL-CIO, says low wages trap workers in a cycle difficult to escape.

"Unfortunately, far too many working people are struggling because they are stuck in these jobs that pay wages that don't enable people to provide for their families," she states.

The AFL-CIO is among the groups behind the Fight for 15 campaign, aiming to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour.

New York and California recently raised their minimum wage to that amount.

The issue of raising the minimum wage is among those being discussed in the presidential campaign, with Democratic Party nominee Hillary Clinton supporting a raise, and Republican Donald Trump at times opposing it and at other times supporting it.

McMillan says studies show that entire communities benefit when everyone is paid a fair wage.

"Working people are what drive our economy,” she stresses. “We are consumers, so when we earn a living wage, when we have more money in our pockets, we spend more at businesses.

“We also are taxpayers, so we pay more in tax revenue which provides more revenue for our local government."

New research from the Economic Policy Institute and the Center for Economic and Policy Research found that the decline of unions in the U.S. is impacting the income of all workers.

In addition, union workers earn 30 percent more on average than non-union workers.

Reporting for this story by North Carolina News Connection in association with Media in the Public Interest. Media in the Public Interest is funded in part by Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation.


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Workers in Michigan won major victories recently as a minimum-wage increase and employer paid sick time program were reinstated by court order.

In 2018, petitioners succeeded in placing a minimum-wage increase along with an earned-sick-time provision on the November ballot. In turn, the Michigan Legislature passed the measures in September to avoid a vote on the referendums, then in a lame-duck session in December the Legislature amended the bills, delaying the wage increase and denying the full hourly rate to tipped workers. The sick-time provision also was changed.

Last month, a Michigan Court of Claims judge ruled amending the original bills was a violation of the state constitution, and the $12 minimum wage will now be instituted in February.

Alicia Renee Farris, chief operations officer of Restaurant Opportunities Centers United, helped organize the ballot initiative and is calling it a victory for Michigan workers.

"This is really a victory for 685,000 Michiganders that do not make $12 an hour," Farris asserted. "We see that as very important particularly for low-wage restaurant workers."

The minimum wage for tipped employees is set to gradually increase to $12 per hour by 2024.

After Judge Douglas Shapiro declared the adopt-and-amend legislative maneuver unconstitutional, the State of Michigan asked for a stay pending appeal. Shapiro denied the request but did delay implementation until Feb. 19.

Mark Brewer, the attorney representing the plaintiffs, said the delay is due to the scale of the coming changes.

"This is a massive change. The paid sick time affects every employer in the state," Brewer pointed out. "Minimum wage obviously affects many employers and hundreds of thousands of employees, so the court said, 'Look, you can have a few months to make a transition here to fully implement these laws.' "

Litigation over the matter has not ended with the Court of Claims ruling, since the state of Michigan will next take its case to the Michigan Court of Appeals. Brewer noted the appeals court has agreed to speed things up.

"We did get some good news in just the last 24 hours," Brewer emphasized. "The court of appeals has agreed to expedite our appeal, and so we're hopeful to have oral argument in the court of appeals this fall, which would mean a decision early next year."

Upon implementation, the minimum wage will be indexed to inflation with adjustments made annually so long as the state unemployment rate remains below 8.5%.

North Dakota is looking at ways to stabilize its child-care workforce as parents struggle to find openings. Part of that involves a new initiative that offers incentives to staff at licensed centers in hopes of reducing turnover.

A recent report found that the average child-care worker in North Dakota is paid roughly $11 an hour - barely above poverty level for a family of three in a full-time scenario. The authors say that makes it harder for centers to stay open.

Kay Larson, director of the North Dakota Department of Human Services Early Childhood Division, said to counteract the problem, they're offering additional stipends to eligible workers.

"We know," said Larson, "that making consistent, stable care available for young children and families is so essential."

Stipends range from $150 to $600 per quarter. Incentives max out at $3,600 per person or when they reach 18 months of participation.

Last year, the Legislature allocated $17 million in federal COVID relief money to bolster child-care services, but some advocates said the state didn't go far enough. They argued that smaller investments will keep parents out of the workforce.

This year, the governor and other state leaders have had talks with providers on how to approach the issue during the 2023 legislation session.

Meanwhile, Larson reminded parents having trouble affording care to take advantage of recent changes to eligibility for aid.

"Right now," said Larson, "the North Dakota child-care assistance has waived the co-pays for families and increased eligibility to 85% of the state median income."

That means a family of three with a household income of just under $6,200 a month can now qualify. The previous threshold was just under $4,400.

As for the incentives program, Larson said they'll evaluate its impact on turnover, with the hopes of receiving more funding down the road.

Restaurant workers have been fleeing the industry throughout the Great Resignation. To reverse the trend, advocates in Minnesota and elsewhere argued employees need better working conditions, and they hope pending policy will help.

The Restaurant Opportunities Centers United has been working to develop the Restaurant Workers Bill of Rights. It seeks to provide livable wages, better access to health care, a safe work environment and participation in governance.

Justin Taylor, a committee member for the Minnesota chapter of Restaurant Opportunities Centers United and a restaurant worker, feels it's a comprehensive approach to long-standing issues.

"I definitely, definitely think this will be a fantastic way to fight the injustices that the restaurant workers have seen for a real long time now," Taylor asserted.

The proposal will be introduced to Congress in September, and organizers say months of outreach to restaurant workers across the U.S. helped determine what should go into the bill. Minnesota has seen nearly 20,000 people leave their establishments for different jobs, according to a report from the University of California-Berkeley's Food Labor Research Center.

The exodus was due in part to the combination of low wages and rising prices during the pandemic. Taylor added the turnover has had a major effect, with those still working at restaurants having to pick up the slack. Some employers have improved their pay and benefits, but issues remain.

"Every restaurant right now is just chronically understaffed, and we're not getting paid for the work that we're doing," Taylor contended. "There's very few places that offer paid sick leave."

Aside from pay, Taylor said the governance factor in the legislative proposal, such as having more say in scheduling shifts, could be another important tool in improving the well-being of restaurant workers.