NC minimum wage update

By R. Neal / July 13, 2006

It's official!

RALEIGH, N.C. -- Gov. Mike Easley Thursday signed into law a bill that will increase the state's minimum wage by $1.

House Bill 2174 raises the hourly minimum pay rate from $5.15 to $6.15 per hour and also ties North Carolina's minimum wage to the federal Fair Labor Standards Act.

If the federal minimum wage is raised, employees in North Carolina will receive whichever wage is higher. The federal minimum wage is currently $5.15 an hour and has not been raised in nine years.

At a news conference Thursday, Easley said the bill is just one step in changing the state's economy.

"We are not trying to build a low-road economy based on low wages and low skill. Those days are gone," Easley said.

Congratulations to everyone in NC who worked hard to get this done. And kudos to the NC legislature and Gov. Easley, who have a far better vision for their state than the Tennessee General Assembly.

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