Charlotte officials forget about the sanitation workers
This City of Charlotte, has bragged at a City Council meeting, and posted on its website, that the City’s minimum wage is $24 per hour (image 1 at bottom). That is the case for most employees, but not the sanitation workers. These are garbage collectors in Charlotte, a city that is so attractive to people in other cities, who respect the cleanliness here.
The starting wage for sanitation workers is $16 per hour for roughly their first year of service; hardly a liveable wage in a city with rent prices as high as the skyline. They also don’t receive benefits according to a call with the staffing agency in charge of hiring for the position, GoodWork Staffing. One cannot help but to wonder why the City uses a staffing agency for the hiring of this position. They already have the infrastructure of a website and a human resources department to do the hiring. It is as if the City is trying to hide the fact that the $24 hourly minimum wage does not apply to everyone.
There is also this from the job description of the workers (image 2 at bottom):
Must work outdoors in all weather conditions
Walk 5-10 miles per day
Repeatedly lift, carry, push, and pull up to 75 pounds
Exposure to dust, fumes, chemicals, uneven surfaces, loud noise, and heavy equipment
Walk, stand, bend, twist, and reach for more than 50% of the shift
Shifts typically begin at 6:15 AM with no set end time
Overtime may be required
The irony of this hiring practice is apparent in this city, which celebrates the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (image 3 at bottom). It was Dr. King who died while supporting a campaign to improve the lives of sanitation workers in Memphis, Tennessee.
Would any Charlotte City Council Members be willing to do the work of the sanitation workers? Charlotics has signed up to speak at the June 22, 2026 City Council meeting to ask that very question and speak in support of the sanitation workers. If given the chance, advocacy on behalf of the sanitation workers will be done at that meeting.
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