The State of New York is set to increase the minimum wage of fast-food workers to $15 per hour. A panel formed by Governor Andrew Cuomo recommended the increase.
Incremental increase in minimum wage
The Fast Food Wage Board recommended an incremental phase for the implementation of the wage increase for fast-food workers. The $15 minimum wage for fast-food workers will take effect by 2018 in New York City and by 2024 for the rest of the State.
On December 31 this year, the minimum wage in New York City should increase to $10.50. The minimum wage should increase to $12 on December 31, 2016 and to $13.50 the following year, and to $15 by 2018.
The minimum wage for the rest of the state should increase to $9.75 by the end of this year, $10.75 the following year, $11.75 on 2017, $12.75 on 2019, $13.75 on 2019 and $15 on July 1, 2024.
The recommendation of the Fast Food Wage Board is subject to the approval of the New York State Labor Commissioner. The panel was created to circumvent the legislature after Republicans block Gov. Cuomo’s efforts to increase the$8.75 per hour minimum wage for all workers.
Gov. Cuomo aims to increase the minimum wage of every worker
In his remarks at a rally in New York City, Gov. Cuomo said, “This is not the ending; it is just the beginning because we will not stop until we reach true economic justice and we raise the minimum wage for every worker in every job in this state.”
Gov. Cuomo emphasized that the late U.S. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt started the minimum wage for people to live a decent life.
“You cannot live and support a family on $18,000 per year in the state of New York, period. That’s why we have to raise the minimum wage,” according to the governor.
Gov. Cuomo emphasized that the Labor Commissioner will review the recommendation of the Wage Board, but he is confident that the state is headed in the right direction.
He said, “This is going to help hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers. But this is going to do something else because when New York acts, the rest of the states follow. That is the New York way.”
