Resolution Passes for Minimum Wage Increases

NYC Council Passes Resolution Calling for Minimum Wage Increases Tied to Inflation

Recently, the New York City Council passed a resolution calling on the State Legislature to pass, and the Governor to sign S.3062D/A.7503, raising the minimum wage annually by a percentage based on the rate of inflation and labor productivity. NYC CLC President Vincent Alvarez issued the following statement: “The New York City Central Labor Council, AFL-CIO commends the NYC Council for this important resolution calling on the NY State Legislature to raise the minimum wage annually by a percentage based on the rate of inflation,” said NYC CLC President Vincent Alvarez. “This legislation would help ensure that working New Yorkers have the financial resources they need to deal with the rising costs of everyday living expenses, particularly in New York City, where 1.24 million workers would receive a much-needed wage boost. This is also both an economic and moral issue— the minimum wage increases called for in this resolution would be a force for equity, benefiting women and people of color who work disproportionately in the low-wage positions that would be most impacted." "The NYC Labor Movement thanks Chair Carmen De La Rosa and the Civil Service and Labor Committee, as well as State Senator Jessica Ramos and Assemblymember Latoya Joyner, for their leadership in championing this critical measure that will allow working New Yorkers to pay for housing, care for their families, and invest in their local communities.”p

Photo courtesy NYC Central Labor Council Suspends Wages/ continued from page 4 recourse against harassment and discrimination. The strike began on Wednesday, November 16. Rather than openly engage the union's concerns and work to build something better together, the university's leaders have chosen to meet workers' calls for change with punitive action. First, shortly before the Thanksgiving break, the university cut off negotiations and threatened to unilaterally implement a Last, Best, and Final offer without workers' consent. This offer would have harmed part-time faculty by causing drastic hikes to healthcare costs and pushing some workers' families onto a costly and risky plan. When part-time faculty voted down this offer last week by an overwhelming margin (1,821 NO to 88 YES), the university returned to the bargaining table with a mediator. The bargaining committee has since worked around the clock to reach a deal with the university, and was encouraged by the university’s movement toward an agreement, too. Then this week, the University's leaders announced that they’d not only be suspending pay, but also that they would no longer contribute their share towards health insurance premiums. Not only is this irresponsible leadership, it represents the university leaders' indifference to their own employees' basic human needs. If the university's leaders truly cared about part-time faculty, they would not repeatedly seek to strip away workers' healthcare.p