Labor Day Puts Spotlight On Ongoing Labor Strikes, Wages

Kaci Jones,

Worker’s rights, ongoing strikes and wages are in the spotlight for Labor Day. Labor unions, politicians, civic groups and other volunteers spread their message at Charlotte’s Labor Day parade.

More than 17,000 members of Communication Workers of America have been on strike for several weeks over what they call unfair labor practices at AT&T. At least 400 workers are on strike in the Charlotte area, Eddie Maresca is among the group out of work while AT&T and labor representatives iron out issues.

“400 plus families right now not working, not getting paid, not contributing to the economy, struggling to pay their bills or worrying about their rent,” Maresca who is also president of CWA local 3603 said.

United States Labor Secretary Julie Su greeted some of the group at the labor day parade in Charlotte pledging continued support for unions from the Biden Administration.

“We have seen tremendous gains for working people, more jobs created under this president than at any other time in history,” Secretary Su said. Wages are up, but we also have more work to do.”

Minimum wage in North Carolina sits at 7.25 an hour, it hasn’t been raised since 2009. It’s the same as the federal minimum wage.

Congresswoman Alma Adams represents NC District 12. Adams is a ranking member of the subcommittee on workforce protections and is one of more than 170 House co-sponsors of the Raise the Wage Act which would increase minimum wage over five years.

“It’s absolutely embarrassing to say that people can live and survive on $7, and that’s not what you take home,” Congresswoman Adams said.

An analysis by the Congressional Budget Office found raising the minimum wage to $17 an hour by 2029 would lift some families out of poverty, but leave some low wage workers jobless.

Republican candidate for North Carolina Labor Commissioner Luke Farley says more money could mean more problems.

“I think the minimum wage is in a good spot right now. A lot of times, what you see when you raise the minimum wage is that workers actually lose their jobs,” Farley said. “We’ve just seen that in California. They raised the minimum wage from 16 to $20 an hour, and a lot of people lost their jobs.”

As the CWA strike moves into it’s third week and closed door negotiations with AT&T continue, Maresca says workers are struggling.

“People are doing Doordash or Uber or Amazon flexing, any array of day work, just doing whatever they can do to survive and ultimately hold the picket line.”