Major victory for nursing home workers looking to make $15/hour

Governor Andrew Cuomo announced the increase to a $15 minimum wage at a rally in ny City, bypassing the State Legislature and making ny the first in the country to see this wage increase. About 10,000 state employees, including about 1,000 in NY City, will benefit from the increase, according to the governor’s office. It’s projected the increase would affect approximately 10,000 state employees – 9,000 of them outside NY City.

The Obama administration has been pushing for a more modest increase in the minimum wage to $10.10 an hour, but has been unable to get that through Congress.

“Employers can show that our lives matter by raising the wage to $15 and giving us a union”, said Amber Graham, another low-wage worker. Prior to the proposal, the state commission on labor approved a plan in July to enact the increasefor fast-food workers. But it will also be worth watching if there’s geographic element to support and/or opposition, because a $15 per hour wage in Manhattan isn’t the same thing as it is in Utica.

Speaking to NY1 on Tuesday afternoon, de Blasio told reporters he “commends” Cuomo’s action.

Many US cities and municipalities have a higher base rate than the federal hourly minimum of $7.25. Now no other state has enacted a $15 minimum wage for public sector workers.

“The people here are dedicated to raising the living wage and it’s not a union issue and I think people have to understand that; this is for every worker and this is for the future of our country too”, said Soto.

Burger King said that it does not set wages or make other employment-related decisions for the franchisees who own and operate nearly all of its locations.

“Today in NY, we are leading by example and creating an economy that is defined by opportunity, not inequality”, the governor said. Instead, many full-time workers who need to support a family are unable to do so because they are earning the minimum wage, Young said.

About 50-100 people gathered at the McDonald’s restaurant at Evans and Colorado on Tuesday morning to protest.

Protesters are also asking state representatives to take action in Tallahassee and asking local representatives to sponsor a draft of a House and Senate bill for higher wages. “It is unconscionable that there are hardworking men and women of this state who work full time, yet still live in poverty”.

A $15 minimum wage is already coming to cities like San Francisco and Los Angeles.