Orange County NC Website
Browse       Search
DocuSign Envelope ID: FF75FEC&F41A-4602-AD91-CF4E1D20F117 <br /> 10/13/2017 www.orangecountylivingwage.org <br /> Profiles: Weaver Street Market <br /> Charles Traitor, a worker-owner and board member at Weaver Street Market, shares why paying a <br /> living wage benefits the employees of the co-op as well as the bottom line of the business. Find <br /> more videos of living wage-certified Orange County employers here. <br /> LIVING WAGES BENEFIT WORKERS <br /> A living wage pulls working families out of poverty. Nearly 40% of workers in Orange County earn <br /> less than a living wage. As a result, a large portion of county residents are, in fact, working poor. <br /> With salaries at or slightly above the minimum wage, each day the working poor in our county are <br /> forced to make difficult choices such as buying food or paying rent, filling a prescription or the gas <br /> tank. If these workers earned a living wage rather than the legal minimum of$7.25/hour, many <br /> would be lifted out of poverty. <br /> LIVING WAGES BENEFIT EMPLOYERS <br /> A living wage is good for the bottom line. Turnover falls when employers offer a living wage, and <br /> workers who stay tend to be more educated and skilled, says Dr. William Lester, a UNC-Chapel Hill <br /> professor who specializes in minimum and living wage research. Since first paying a living wage, <br /> CEOs of Costco, QuikTrip and other employers report a drop in payroll costs due to lower <br /> absenteeism and turnover. Many living wage employers also note better morale, attendance, <br /> customer relations, and productivity. Moreover, Dr. Zeynep Ton of MIT's Sloan School of <br /> Management reports that research in the retail sector shows that for every $1 increase in payroll, a <br /> store can achieve a $4 or more increase in monthly sales. <br /> LIVING WAGES COME BACK TO THE LOCAL <br /> COMMUNITY <br /> http://www.orangecountylivingwage.org/ 3/5 <br />