Building Good Jobs & Growing Carolina Roots

“We build good jobs here, keep families together, and power Carolina’s future with homegrown talent—not empty promises.”

• Union Power & Fair Wages Guarantee: Expand the right to organize, launch “Union Fast-Track” grants for small businesses that pay fair wages and benefits, and fight for a $15+ minimum wage indexed to inflation.
• Carolina Skills Accelerator: Create a Skills Accelerator Network with technical colleges, unions, and employers for tuition-free training in trades, IT, green energy, and advanced manufacturing. Paid apprenticeships for youth, veterans, and career-changers. Guaranteed job offer or placement support for every graduate.
• Small Business Boost & Buy Local First: Launch a Start-Here Fund for zero-interest microloans and a two-year tax holiday for new local businesses and family farms. Prioritize local businesses for public purchasing. Start a Business Startup Concierge to help entrepreneurs with permits, financing, and mentorship.
• Rural Job Engines & Broadband for All: Establish Rural Job Hubs and advanced training centers in small towns. Expand high-speed broadband and cell coverage to unlock remote work and digital entrepreneurship across the district.
• Next-Generation Infrastructure & Green Jobs: Build and repair roads, bridges, and water systems with local union labor and apprentices. Invest in clean energy jobs—solar, wind, and batteries—with worker ownership incentives and retraining for fossil fuel workers. Launch a Carolina Conservation Corps for youth and veterans to restore parks, fight flooding, and boost tourism.
• Veterans & Second Chance Employment: Partner with unions and employers for a Veteran Skills Bridge program—guaranteed training and job placement for returning servicemembers. Offer Second Chance Hiring Incentives (tax credits and support) for businesses hiring formerly incarcerated people and those recovering from addiction, with mentorship and counseling.
• Family Support & Commuter Relief: Double investments in affordable childcare, afterschool, and elder care so more parents can work or train. Support flexible scheduling and commuter assistance, including transit options and gas vouchers for shift workers.
• Accountability & Community Control: Create a District Jobs & Growth Council of local workers, business owners, educators, and union leaders to guide policy, review results, and recommend improvements. Require all new business incentives to include local hiring guarantees and wage standards—with clawbacks for companies that don’t deliver.