BRAXTON’S PLAN TO MAKE NORTH CAROLINA THE #1 STATE FOR BUSINESS AND WORKERS
This year, CNBC ranked North Carolina as the #1 state in the country to do business for the 2nd year in a row. This is great news for our state's businesses and speaks volumes to the efforts of our Governor and how educated and motivated our workers are.
While we may lead in business, Oxfam ranked North Carolina as the worst state to be a worker in the country when factoring in 3 key policy areas: wages, worker protections, and rights to organize. As the #1 state to do business, this is unacceptable. Our workers deserve better.
This is where my campaign comes in.
North Carolina should be the #1 state for business and workers. The two are not mutually exclusive. As the next Commissioner of Labor, I will support North Carolina’s working families and businesses by:
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ensuring that all workers go to work in a safe environment.
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defending workers rights wherever they find work.
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advocating for all people to be paid fairly under NC labor laws.
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taking a "whole worker" approach.
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prioritizing that our workforce is fully staffed.
WORKPLACE SAFETY
All work, from factories to classrooms, should be done in a safe working environment.
We should strive to eliminate all preventable fatalities and injuries in North Carolina workplaces. As Commissioner of Labor I will:
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work with employers and employees to promote and grow cultures of safety.
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collaborate with the North Carolina General Assembly to appropriately fund and strengthen the Occupational Safety & Health Division (OSH) and other compliance departments.
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team up with employers and employees to amplify preventative practices across industries, especially with our workers who experience extreme heat on the job -- like our sanitation workers, farm workers, letter carriers, construction workers, and so many other industries in NC.
FAIR WAGES
The Labor Commissioner has an important role in helping to ensure that North Carolina workers are earning their fair share of wages as determined by the law.
Why It Matters: Whether they are construction workers building our cities or meatpackers from out east, North Carolina’s laborers deserve to feel confident that they are bringing home a fair day’s pay.
As Commissioner of Labor, I will prioritize:
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informing all workers of their rights under the law.
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ensuring businesses are following North Carolina’s fair wage laws and rules.
We must promote a fair market amongst business owners who are competing for the same workers within industries.
FULLY STAFF OUR WORKFORCE TO UPHOLD PUBLIC SAFETY
The Problem: Employers are finding it increasingly more difficult to find enough workers to staff their businesses since the pandemic.
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There are not enough employees to dependably fill shifts across the board - whether in our service and hospitality industries or logistics professionals.
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This constrains the ability for companies to grow and is detrimental to existing workers who bear additional dangerous burdens at work.
For Example: Currently, even the North Carolina Department of Labor is struggling to fully staff its team – 25 of the 108 compliance officer roles that are budgeted for are vacant.
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It is vital that we have a fully staffed compliance officer team at the Department of Labor so that every roller coaster, every ski lift, every ride at every county fair across the state that involves moving pieces of equipment, is inspected correctly and as often as it should be.
The Solution: As the next Commissioner of Labor, I would make it a top priority to close this gap and ensure that these life-saving inspections continue across the state. I would work with leaders in business, labor unions, personnel services, and in communities across the state to make sure we are doing everything possible to match our workforce with available jobs – many of which provide local residents access to the middle-class right out of high school.
We must approach the challenges in the labor market as opportunities to take a “whole worker" approach and connect our local workforce with a better quality of life through a good-paying job.
DEFENDING WORKERS RIGHTS WHEREVER THEY FIND WORK
There are a lot of different jobs, and just as many different workplaces in our state.
Why It Matters: Different jobs call for different skills and different demands of workers. Regardless of the differences in job descriptions and demands, all workers have rights and protections as workers in our state.
Whether workers are at home or on assembly lines, I will work with advocates to inform and educate our workforces on their rights and how to take action if those rights are violated.
TAKING A "WHOLE WORKER" APPROACH
The Department of Labor has an important role in our state to ensure community safety. In addition to the core responsibilities of inspecting and ensuring the safety of several elements of everyday life like elevators, amusement park rides, and lifting devices for people with disabilities, the Commissioner of Labor can build bridges across our state’s diverse communities and make them safer by taking a "whole worker" approach.
We can work with our partners within state and local governments, the private sector, and service organizations to sustain resilient workforces by:
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working to eliminate poverty in our NC workforces.
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closing the digital divide and training our next workforce.
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working with partners to increase access to health care for all workers.
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advocating for accessible and well-funded child care.
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providing dependable access to transportation.
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working with partners to increase access to affordable housing and eliminating homelessness in North Carolina with a focus on our veteran population.
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reducing the number of workers living in a food desert.
