From Early Mornings to Lasting Legacies: A Labor Day Reflection

Labor Day isn’t just about a long weekend, backyard grills, or that last gasp of summer before football season takes over. It’s supposed to honor working people—their sweat, their craft, and their right to a fair shake. And here in Davidson County, that fair shake is still a conversation waiting for resolution.

We are a county built on the backs of labor. From the factories that once kept whole towns afloat, to the small businesses and service jobs that now patch the quilt of our economy, Davidson County knows work. What we don’t always see, though, is a living wage to match that work. Too many families are still piecing together part-time jobs, side hustles, or late-night shifts just to keep up with rent, groceries, and childcare.

The debate isn’t theoretical—it’s already playing out right here. County commissioners just wrestled with whether to raise law enforcement pay. Some restaurants have closed their doors not for lack of customers, but because they can’t keep staff. The refrain is familiar: many say they simply can’t cut the mustard on the kind of pay that’s being offered. When wages lag too far behind the cost of living, people vote with their feet—and often, they walk away from jobs that don’t cover the basics.

The minimum wage in North Carolina has been frozen at $7.25 an hour since 2009. You don’t need to be an economist to know that’s not stretching far in 2025—not with housing costs climbing and grocery bills giving folks sticker shock. A living wage for one adult with a child in Davidson County is estimated at more than double that rate. That means the “minimum” doesn’t come close to the “enough.”

Labor Day should remind us of the hard-fought battles for fair pay for an honest day’s work. Those gains do not arrive gift-wrapped; they came from organizing, sacrifice, and solidarity. The same spirit applies now: advocating for wages that meet today’s reality instead of yesterday’s economy.

Davidson County knows how to pull together. We’ve proven it in times of tragedy, celebration, and accountability. This Labor Day, let’s honor workers not only with words but with a commitment to make sure that “hard work” and “making a living” actually mean the same thing.