Minimum wage to increase on Dec. 31 in New York
As 2015 comes to a close, so does Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s three-part minimum wage increases. As of Dec. 31, New York State’s minimum wage will be $9 an hour, a 25-cent increase from the current rate.
Wages will be different from the standard $9 an hour for tipped hospitality workers and workers in fast-food chains.
Tipped hospitality workers — who currently make either $4.90, $5 or $5.65 an hour — will now receive a minimum of $7.50 an hour. This includes food service workers, service employees, and service employees in resort hotels, Mr. Cuomo’s office said in a statement.
Employees in fast food chains will receive at least $9.75 an hour beginning Dec. 31. In New York City, minimum wage for these employees will rise to $10.50 an hour. According to the release, this is the first increase in wages for fast food workers.
“No one who works full time should ever be condemned to a life of poverty,” Governor Cuomo said in a statement. “As we prepare to ring in the New Year, we are making a fundamental difference in the lives of hundreds of thousands of workers across the state.”
These changes are the final implementation of increases outlined in legislation passed in March 2013. On Dec. 31, 2013 New York State minimum wage went from $7.25 an hour to $8. On Dec. 31, 2014 it rose to $8.75. Mr. Cuomo continues to push for a minimum wage of $15 an hour for employees in New York.
