Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Monday the minimum wage for 28,000 state university workers will be increased gradually to $15 an hour and he will ask the state Legislature to apply that rate to all New Yorkers.
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“New York was built upon the promise that hard work and equal opportunity will lead to a better life”. It also does not include a minimum wage agreement at the sprawling City University of NY system. He warned lawmakers, “we’re going to make sure the voters in your district know who voted for them and who voted against them”. “Raising the minimum wage to $15 statewide would be a huge step forward in helping to lift over 2 million New Yorkers out of poverty and begin to deliver on the promise of economic justice for all”, Cuomo’s office said in a statement Sunday. His campaign has won praise from labor unions and condemnation from business groups as it puts pressure on the private sector to also increase wages.
If approved by the SUNY Board of Trustees this month, the change in wages for SUNY employees will be progressively phased-in from February 2016 until July 2021 statewide, similar to that of wage increases for fast food workers.
The Democratic governor said he would issue an executive order to increase the minimum wage for SUNY workers, the latest in its efforts to get a $15 minimum wage statewide.
State lawmakers are expected to debate that proposal during the 2016 session, which starts Wednesday in Albany. “If you don’t have money in your pocket you can’t buy things”.
“Minimum is about $18,000 a year”.
“This is below a subsistence level”.
“Healthcare workers strongly support Governor Cuomo’s bold efforts to raise the minimum wage, which would make our state a national leader in the fight to reward hard work with fair pay”, said Gresham, the wage hike campaign chairman. “You need, two, three, four jobs”.
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“This increase has already forced restaurants to close, business owners to cut hours and lay people off and made owners look to incorporate more tablets at tables”, she said.
