Workers’ Rights & Workplace Safety

North Carolina is ranked one of the worst states for workers. This is because our minimum wage is too low to keep up with our cost of living and our laws are hostile to organized labor. I believe that fair pay and workers rights are issues intertwined with social justice. We must recognize our hourly workers and laborers as the backbone of our community.

It is absurd to think a $7.50 minimum wage is acceptable. With current inflation and high gas prices, even a $15 hourly wage can’t make ends meet for families. I introduced legislation to raise the minimum wage to $18 an hour by 2030 and adjust for inflation every year going forward.

Beyond higher wages, we must ensure dignity and protection for all workers. Paid family leave, safe working conditions, collective bargaining all are essential. North Carolina has provided hundreds of millions of dollars in incentives to businesses that will move here. Now it is time for us to provide rights and protections to the people who will work for these companies.

As Barbara Ehrenreich stated in her book Nickle and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America, “Every job takes skill and intelligence and should be paid accordingly.”   

Together, we can achieve economic justice and win dignity for workers of North Carolina.