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Cuomo to propose $15 minimum wage for all workers, say sources

It’s not clear whether Acting Labor Commissioner Mario Musolino will make any changes to the recommendation, which called for the fast-food wage to gradually increase to $15 an hour statewide by July 2021.

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Assembly Democrats for months have pushed for a minimum wage for all workers.

Cuomo’s announcement Thursday will come on the same day the Senate’s Republican majority holds a hearing in Albany that will question Cuomo’s use of a wage board to raise the fast-food minimum wage. It’s set to increase to $9 at the end of the year.

Melissa DeRosa, a Cuomo spokeswoman, didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo is expected to propose Thursday a $15-an-hour minimum wage for all workers, according to two state officials.

Earlier this year, Cuomo proposed increasing the state’s minimum pay rate to $11.50 an hour in New York City and $10.50 in the rest of the state.

Mr. Cuomo’s new push is likely to face even greater opposition in the Legislature. Cuomo then countered by appointing a three-person wage board to see whether the current wage presented health and safety issues for fast food workers.

NYC Partnership CEO Kathry Wylde said “a precipitous increase that threatens the most vulnerable businesses and employees would not find a lot of supporters in the business community”.

And in seeking to boost wages through legislative channels, Mr. Cuomo may appease those who argued that he circumvented the process the last time around.

The increase will affect some 200,000 workers.

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“We think the governor should have attempted to raise the minimum wage through the legislative process”, she said.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo has moved to boost wages for fast-food workers such as these in New York City