Labor Day was established as a national holiday in 1894 to celebrate the achievements of American workers. What does labor in the state and nation look like today? In 2013, North Carolina had , comprising 5.8 percent of all hourly-paid workers.
Opponents of a higher minimum wage say it will raise unemployment and lure away businesses, while advocates see a raise as necessary to a sustainable workforce. Recent campaigns and projects across the state are working toward creating sustainable local economies and better wages for low-paid workers.
Host Frank Stasio talks with Steve Fraser, author of (Little, Brown and Company/2015), about the history labor movements in the United States. Stasio also talks with Carolyn Smith of and Rev. Sekinah Hamlin of the Ecumenical Poverty Initiative about a recent grassroots campaign in Greensboro, N.C. that resulted in higher wages for city employees.
Also on the program is Eric Winston of Raise Up for 15, a sub-group of the national Fight for 15 campaign pushing for a federal minimum wage increase of $15. Stasio talks with Vicki Meath, director of in Asheville and Robbie Roberts, owner of the Triangle-based coffee shop about promoting living wages for local businesses. And , professor at Duke Fuqua School of Business, talks about the way management experts respond to wage proposals.
