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Founded by Gordon Jenkins and Vera Fabian in 2016, Ten Mothers Farm in Cedar Grove grows organic, nutrient-dense vegetables for a CSA and local restaurants.
“The Ten Mothers Farm crew is an incredible team,” says Fabian. “Together, we get a lot of work done and grow a lot of food. Making sure that every member of the team makes a living wage shows that everyone is valued and helps them meet the cost of their basic necessities. Farming is hard work and skilled work, and farmers deserve to earn a living wage. Paying a living wage means our farmers have stable, year-round jobs and can stick around longer than one season, which makes our business more resilient. Skilled long-term farmers make for better vegetables and better service for our CSA customers. It’s taken us a number of years to get to this point, but it feels really good to finally be here, and we believe it’s a win-win situation for all of us."
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NEW CERTIFICATIONS & RECERTIFICATIONS
Since our last newsletter in January, these local businesses and employers have joined our roster. Their commitment to living wages is inspiring! They are:
The Beehive
Bowbarr
ClearWind Farm
Franklin Motors Hospitality
New Vista Development
Pure Tree Care
Roquette Restaurants
Spotted Dog Restaurant & Bar
Ten Mothers Farm
In addition to these new certifications, many employers have recertified. For a directory of all Orange County living wage employers, click here.
As of this month, our living wage employers have collectively raised wages for workers by more than $2 million since our founding in 2015!
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Hope Renovations empowers women to pursue living-wage jobs in the construction trades via a hands-on training program, while their construction program provides repairs and renovations that enable older adults to stay in their homes as they age.
Janel Burns, director of operations, and Grace Yannotta, social media/marketing intern, sent us this note: "Part of Hope Renovations’ central mission is to provide underemployed women with the training needed to take on careers that pay a living wage – certainly, our mission covers treating our staff with that same respect. Living wages promote an inclusive and employee-led work environment, and inject money back into our communities and local economies. At Hope Renovations, we are committed to living our values, and one way of doing that is being a certified employer by Orange County Living Wage."
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Jane Meadows (center) with team members Reyna Arroyo-Martinez (left) and Yurlin Najera Albarenga.
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'DEPENDABLE, RESPONSIBLE, TRUSTWORTHY' – A LOOK AT CRYSTAL CLEAR CLEANING
Jane Meadows launched Crystal Clear Cleaning in 2000, and the business became a living wage employer about six years ago. Since then, it has attracted clients who appreciate the value of the living wage mission. She sees the Orange County Living Wage program as a way to invite the community to look at all forms of work as respectable, valuable, and honorable.
The Crystal Clear Cleaning team currently has room in their schedule to onboard two to three more clients. Meadows thinks the spring will bring a surge of requests for cleaning services, but she will need to hire more employees to keep up with the demand.
“It’s a balancing act between having enough help and having sufficient clients to keep that help employed,” she says.
Mary Ann Bumbera has been a Crystal Clear Cleaning client since the fall. She heard about the business from a friend and says she would recommend them to anyone. “They do such a good job. They’re dependable, responsible, trustworthy,” she says.
Read Roxana Boyd's full story on Crystal Clear Cleaning on our website.
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SUMMER CAREERS ACADEMY – A PATHWAY TO AN APPRENTICESHIP AND A LIVING WAGE
Last month, the Chamber for a Greater Chapel-Hill Carrboro launched the Summer Careers Academy, a new apprenticeship program that will connect young adults with local employers for eight weeks of career training. This summer, the “Building Our Future” inaugural program in Orange County will facilitate apprenticeships in the construction trades. Leaders plan to expand to other industries, such as health care and technology, and nearby counties in the coming years.
Participants in the apprenticeship program will receive credit and credentials toward careers in skilled trades – and a learning wage of $12 an hour. Orange County Living Wage (OCLW) fully endorses the $12 learning wage because it provides greater access to apprenticeships for students of all incomes, says OCLW Co-Founder Susan Romaine.
“We often hear about unpaid internships and apprenticeships as great opportunities for students to network, get on-the-job experience, and build their resumes,” says Romaine. “But not everybody can afford unpaid internships and apprenticeships. Many high school students work to contribute to the family’s monthly expenses; or, perhaps they are saving for a car or even college.”
Romaine says OCLW is thrilled that the Summer Careers Academy will encourage participating employers to hire students after their completion of the program and pay a living wage of $15.85 an hour.
Read Roxana Boyd's full story on the Summer Careers Academy on our website.
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OCLW TEAM NEWS
After seven years of devoted service, Mike Andrews recently stepped down from OCLW’s board of directors. Andrews is a founding member of OCLW and always injected “big ideas” into the discussion, whether they be about offering a mentoring program for aspiring living wage employers, partnering with the Durham Living Wage Project, creating a three-year strategic plan, or debating an exemption for contract employees. His humor, collaborative spirit, level-headedness, and good judgment will be sorely missed.
Andrews' career was spent at the Nature Conservancy. Reflecting his passion for the outdoors, he recently joined the board and executive committee of the North Carolina Botanical Garden Foundation.
With Andrews stepping down, more opportunities to join our Board of Directors or one of its committees are opening up. We are in the process of interviewing a host of candidates to serve in different capacities, and we look forward to making some exciting announcements soon.
In other team news, OCLW has added a certification coordinator who works 8-10 hours per week. Shannon Traynor will be the hub of our certification team, coordinating outreach with employers in the community and overseeing a new mentoring program for aspiring living wage employers. Traynor has served as the executive assistant at OCLW for more than four years. A member of the Florida and North Carolina Bars, she is also the bookkeeper for Orange County Bail/Bond Justice Project. Traynor and her family – husband Ted and young sons Auggie and Finn – live in Chapel Hill.
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JOB BOARD
We’re seeing lots of Help Wanted signs in the community. Whether you’re a living wage employer with positions to fill or a community member looking for a well-paying job, check out our job board — it’s free and easy to use!
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SHARE YOUR UPDATES
Living wage employers, we encourage you to share your news with us! One of our central goals is to connect members of the community to living wage certified employers and encourage them to support those businesses and organizations. So let us know when you are hosting a special event, offering a sale, receiving an award, seeking new employees, expanding your organization, etc.! We will amplify your message on our online platforms. Email your news to andrea@orangecountylivingwage.org.
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LIVING WAGES IN THE NEWS
In his State of the Union address earlier this month, President Joe Biden renewed a push to increase the federal minimum wage, a proposal Democrats tried but failed to enact last year.
“Raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour,” he said.
Biden also said he wants to extend the enhanced child tax credit, which in 2021 gave families with eligible children a larger benefit including monthly advance payments. Those payments were shown to lower financial stress and help families pay for essentials like rent, utilities, and groceries.
This Washington Post story in February pointed to a sad reality: The number of American children in poverty spiked dramatically in January after the expiration of the expanded child benefit at the end of 2021.
It’s important to remember that the newly increased Orange County living wage for 2022 of $15.85 (or $14.35 with employer-provided health insurance) is for a single person living in a one-bedroom apartment. Families require more than this to afford basic necessities. The federal minimum wage (and current North Carolina state minimum wage) has remained at $7.25 per hour since 2009.
In January, The Daily Tar Heel reported that since January 2020, rent in Chapel Hill has increased by 24 percent, exceeding the state average increase of 21 percent and the national average increase of 16 percent.
We also appreciate The Daily Tar Heel sharing news of our increased living wage in an article last month. The article highlighted living wage employers Brandwein's Bagels, The Meantime Coffee Co., School of Rock Chapel Hill, Back Alley Bikes, and EMPOWERment Inc.
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DONATE TO OCLW
As we keep our sights set on statewide or federal policy to secure living wages for all, we’ll continue the fight for living wages in Orange County and beyond. To support our mission, consider donating to OCLW. A single or recurring $15.85 donation – in honor of our 2022 living wage – will go a long way!
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