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Asheville City Council holds off on vote on living wage for contractors

Update December 2, 2009–Asheville City Council heard a report from City staff about a living wage policy for contractors at their final meeting of the current Council on November 24th. The staff report, given by Brenda Mills, included data from a survey conducted by the Chamber of Commerce, as well as some information about the potential legality and cost of the policy. After much discussion, Council decided to hold off on voting on the policy proposal because they still want a more accurate calculation of what the policy would cost the city, as well as information about best practices from the many cities that already have similar policies in place. We had the opportunity to speak during the public comment period. Several of our board and committee members expressed our concern about the long and drawn out timeline (after all, it’s been over two years since our first proposal to Council), as well a filled in many of the holes in research and data from the staff report.

All in all, this is a good outcome. The new Council, to be sworn in next week, will discuss the living wage issue at their retreat in January, and City staff will continue to collect the requested information to present to Council in the new year. We look forward to working with the new Council, as all of the newly elected members–Cecil Bothwell, Esther Manheimer, and Gordon Smith–support a living wage.

Thanks to everyone to came to show support at the Council meeting, and stay tuned for more news in the Living Wage Campaign.

Action alert: Asheville City Council to Consider Living Wage Again

Update November 19, 2009–Just Economics has just learned that Asheville City Council will consider a living wage proposal for City Contractors at their November 24 meeting. As you know, for the past two years we have been working hard to win a living wage for City Contractors, to go along with the living wage for city employees.

Here is our situation now: City staff will make a report to Council on the issue on November 24. We have not gotten to see the report, but we are concerned that it may NOT support a living wage for Contractors.

We need a strong showing from people who believe that City Contractors should earn a living wage. It is good that Council is considering this issue again, and we must make sure that they keep moving forward. At best, we can get positive action on November 24. And at the least, we can make sure that the incoming Council (to be sworn in early next month) is ready to make Asheville a real Living Wage City.

Come show your support for the Living Wage: Tuesday, November 24, 6 pm, City Council chambers in City Hall. Make Asheville a Living Wage City!

JE members, Certified Employers, and friends Shake Their Booty for the Bounty!

Update November 9, 2009–Our fall benefit–Shake Your Booty for the Bounty–was a big success! Fifty of our core members gathered over dinner to celebrate the work of JE this year, and look ahead to 2010. Then, the party started, with wonderful musical acts the Firefly Revival, the Secret B-Sides, and the world-class Firecracker Jazz Band. A select few of our 105 Living Wage Certified Employers also were showcased, and JE led the audience in Living Wage Trivia between sets. Over 150 folks came out to dance and support the work of Just Economics, for what was an energizing and fruitful event!

Thanks to everyone who came out to show their support, and to our event sponsors:

Mountain XPress, American Speedy Printing, Asheville Garage Door Service, Elizabeth Keel CPA, Asheville Wine Market, Asheville-Massage-Therapy.com, Century 21 Real Estate, Appalachia School of Holistic Herbalism, Colorful Palate Catering, Mosaic, Groce Funeral Home and Cremation Service, Green Casket Company, Dotson-Smith Law Office, Conservationpros.com, Corliss and Solomon PLLC, and Rob Stetson and Wesley Kilby of Farm Bureau Insurance.

Certification Program Expands to Transylvania County–Charter Employers Celebrate at Kick-off event in Brevard.

Update September 17, 2009–Just Economics’ Living Wage Employer Certification Program has officially expanded from Buncombe County to include Transylvania County. JE and our local affiliate the Living Wage Coalition of Transylvania County marked the occasion with a kick-off event in Brevard last week. Seventeen employers in Transylvania County are part of the charter group of Certified employers:

Brevard Hearing Center * Brevard Housing Authority *Centro Comunitario Hispano-Americano * Jennings Builders Supply * Charles D. Lefler, MD * Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd * Dale A. Nash, MD * Plowden Hall Law Firm * Rosman United Methodist Church * Selica United Methodist Church * The Center for Dialogue * The Children’s Center * Transylvania Association for Disabled Citizens, Inc. * Transylvania Christian Ministry * Unitarian Universalists of Transylvania County * United Way of Transylvania County * Western North Carolina Community Action

We look forward to the program continuing to expand throughout Western North Carolina, as more employers show their leadership in creating a sustainable economy that works for all. Special thanks to all members of the Living Wage Coalition of Transylvania County for their leadership in organizing a festive and inspiring launch event! Stay tuned for more news from Transylvania County!

Minimum Wage Increases to $7.25/hour— still far from a living wage.

Update August 4, 2009–On July 24, the federal minimum wage increased to $7.25 from $6.55/hour. This modest, 70 cent jump means that a full-time worker can earn as little as $14,500 a year, or the poverty threshold for a two-person family. So, even with hard work, millions of working people in our country find themselves in poverty, or teetering on the edge of it. This is all the more reason that we must continue to work towards a sustainable economy, one that restores the dignity to work and ensures workers earn a living wage.

We didn’t miss the opportunity to chime in on the latest minimum wage increase. Check out the two recent letters to the editor, which appeared in the Asheville Citizen Times:

“Minimum wage still not enough to live on,” July 26, 2009.

“Benefits of wage increase are wide and deep,” August 3, 2009.

Students educate campus about economic justice in first Chalk Fest event!

Update May 12, 2009—Warren Wilson students organized a campus-wide Chalk Fest event to educate their fellow students and faculty about economic justice. Dozens of students drew their image of economic justice or injustice in sidewalk chalk. College President Pfeiffer even joined in (see photo below). Special thanks to the Economic Justice Issue Workshop for pulling together this fun event! See below a sampling of the beautiful images created at Chalk Fest, and stay tuned…a similar event may be coming soon to your neighborhood this summer!

Low-wage workers complete second Voices class!

Update May 5, 2009–VOICES leaders celebrated completing JE’s Voices for Economic Justice Voices Celebration Leadership Development Program at Woodridge Apartments this past Saturday. These newly trained worker leaders were joined by their neighbors, and Just Economics board members and volunteers.

This class of Voices includes 16 workers from seven different countries: Russia, Moldovia, Ukraine, Belarussia, Honduras, Mexico and the U.S. Many of the Voices leaders will take an active role in leading the A-B Living Wage Campaign. They also built relationships with their neighbors across the barriers that often separate us—race, ethnicity, language, and gender.

Through this eight-week long workshop series, the VOICES leaders learned about the economy, developed leadership skills, and strategized about the changes they’d like to see in economic conditions affecting their lives.

Special thanks to those who provided delicious meals for VOICES–Jubilee, All Souls Cathedral, First Congregational UCC, Warren Wilson Economic Justice group, and Circle of Mercy. And, a shout out to our wonderful interpretation team that mastered tri-lingual simultaneous interpretation in English, Spanish, and Russian!

Paid Sick Days Campaign Comes to Asheville

Update April 20, 2009–We’re all likely to get sick this year but not all of us will be able to take a day off from work to get better. That’s because nearly half of North Carolina’s workers, 1.6 million people, lack a single paid sick day.

That’s why a broad coalition of organizations–including Just Economics–has come together to form the NC Paid Sick Days Campaign, which is pushing for passage of The Healthy Families, Healthy Workplaces Act, (HB 177 and SB 534) to provide North Carolina workers with up to seven paid sick days annually. But we need your help. We can’t do it alone.

Paid Sick Days Town Hall Meeting
6:00 – 7:30 pm Thursday, April 23rd
Asheville United Way Building, Pamela Mills Turner Conference Room (50 S. French Broad Ave)

Come learn more about the growing movement to guarantee all workers the right to paid sick days in North Carolina. Hear from advocates working on the NC Paid Sick Days Campaign, and share your story with or without sick days.

For more information, visit www.ncsickdays.org.

2009 Living Wage Announced

Update March March 20, 2009—Just Economics has announced the 2009 Living Wage for Buncombe County. The Living Wage for this year is $11.35 an hour without benefits, or $9.85 an hour with employer-provided health insurance. The figure remains unchanged from last year, because the Consumer Price Index for Urban Workers (CPI) showed no change over the 12-month period. Just Economics sets the Living Wage for Buncombe County annually. Living Wage Certified Employers and others in the community use this as a guide for setting workers’ wages.

Spread the word, and if you haven’t already, encourage your employer to be Living Wage Certified.

Just Economics First Annual Membership Celebration A Success!

Update December 8, 2008–Last Thursday, 50 plus Just Economics membership and community supporters joined together at Living Wage Certified Employer Laurey’s Catering to celebrate the successes in the Asheville-Buncombe Living Wage Campaign, and plan for what’s to come in the growing local movement for a living wage and more sustainable local economy. Highlights of the evening included, the review of highlights in the work of JE provided by Coordinator Sarah Osmer, hearing from Board and committee members about what’s to come in 2009 for Just Economics, the delicious meal of Chicken Marbella provided by Laurey’s, farewell remarks from Steve Agan who will be going off the JE Board at the end of the year, and, of course, the raffle of items from Living Wage Certified and other local businesses. Thanks to everyone that helped make our first membership celebration a success! Here’s to many more to come. And, be sure the check out pictures from the celebration below, as well as the coverage of the event by the Asheville Citizen Times here.

JE Co-Sponsors Candidates’ Survey! Check out what the candidates say about the living wage issue…

Update October 8, 2008–Just Economics collaborated with Children’s First and other area non-profit organizations to co-sponsor a survey of local political candidates up for election this November. Candidates for the Board of County Commissioners, Board of Education, and State House and Senate weighed in in issues affecting children and families. Be sure the check out the candidates’ responses to question 5, which focuses on the living wage issues and economic opportunities for workers in our community.

Our hope as that voters will use the information provided in the survey to make a more informed decision as they cast their vote this coming election.

Click here to see the Candidates’ Survey, or visit Children’s First website for more information. Thanks to Children’s First for pulling off the survey!

Join VOICES FOR ECONOMIC JUSTICE!

Update August 22, 2008–Just Economics is preparing to launch a new leadership development program for low-wage workers and low-income people called Voices for Economic Justice.

Voices is an eight-week popular education, empowerment based workshop series that combines concrete skills training and leadership development with education and analysis around economic issues. Through Voices we hope to connect with workers in the community that will lead us in our joint work for a more just local economy, and also give workers skills and knowledge they can use in their own lives and communities.For more information, click here. Spread the word, and sign up today, if appropriate.

For those who would like to support Voices, we are looking for groups to prepare dinner for each session, and also monetary donations to cover the cost of materials and childcare.

Please contact Sarah Osmer at 828-301-7291 or sarahosmer(a)justeconomicswnc.org to sign up to help out.

Asheville Citizen-Times article highlights “economic deprivation” of the non-wealthy

Update July 7, 2008–A recent article in the Asheville Citizen-Times, “Economic deprivation of non-wealthy Americans continues” by George Yates, highlights the growing divide between the rich and the rest of us in the U.S. today. Yates’ article, though sobering, serves as an important reminder of the urgent need for living wages and economic fairness, and the necessity of work like ours that seeks to remedy the “economic deprivation” that’s affecting more and more Americans.

Highlights from Yates’ article include:

* The wealthiest 10% of Americans now own 63% of the U.S.’s total family assets, 80% of publicly issued U.S. stock, and they receive 90% of all dividends and capital gains, while the bottom 50% of Americans own about 2% of total family assets and no stock.

* The annual ‘real’ income of American families, compared to what it was eight years ago, has decreased by $1,224.

* 65% of Americans report that they live paycheck to paycheck.

* Following the real estate bubble “burst” in mid-2007, non-wealthy Americans switched to credit cards to obtain necessary cash–Total household debt over the last seven years has about doubled to a record $14 trillion.

Yates perfectly sums up the current state our our economy, and the need for economic justice work like ours, “The massive diversion of income to wealthy Americans during the last 7 years must be reversed to rescue non-wealthy Americans from deeper economic deprivation, and to prevent the United States from moving still closer to a despotism of the rich.”

Click here to see the full article.

Living Wage Certification “picking up steam!”

Update June 24, 2008– Asheville-area employers continue to sign up for Living Wage Certification. Since its launch just three months ago, forty-three businesses and non-profits have been certified, and new applications are submitted almost daily.

Most recently, Highland Brewery, one of Western North Carolina’s favorite beer makers, was certified. Other popular certified employers include–West End Bakery, Laurey’s Catering, and Asheville Wine Market, among many others.

Be sure to look for the “Living Wage Paid Here!” sticker in the store window of the businesses you patronize, and check out our Living Wage Certified Employers page for a full listing of certified employers.

And, if you haven’t seen it already, don’t miss the recent Mountain XPress article on the LW Certification program, “Living wage issue picking up steam.”

The Justice Tour a huge success!

Update April 23, 2008–Thanks to those who came out to support Just Economics and enjoy what was an incredible day of action and concert with Tom Morello and the rest of the Justice Tour gang!

The Justice Tour’s stop in Asheville helped elevate the work of Just Economics.

It also connected us to new folks in our community that care about economic justice and are motivated to make change from the bottom up, the kind of social change Tom Morello talks about in his music.

Almost 400 of you signed the new Living Wage Pledge, and all of the concert proceeds will go to support the work of Just Economics.

Click here for a link to Tom Morello’s blog post about the Asheville stop of the Justice Tour.