Workers’ Matters

Minimum Wage

continued from page 4 said James R. Sheeran Jr., President Steamfitters Local 638.

"Nurses know firsthand the impact of the affordability crisis on our patients. When New Yorkers struggle to make ends meet, they may wait until healthcare issues become emergencies to seek treatment. We need to give working New Yorkers a raise they desperately need and deserve. A $21.25 minimum wage before indexing would help millions of families keep up with rising costs. We are urging Albany lawmakers to include the full Raise the Wage Act in the final state budget," said NYSNA President Nancy Hagans, RN.

"New Yorkers who work for a living should earn a living, but we all know that isn't possible on today's minimum wage. Ten years ago, CWA was proud to be part of the fight for 15 movement and help win a $15 minimum wage. Now, as we are facing the worst affordability crisis in 40 years, despite record breaking productivity and corporate profits, it is time for New York to stand with workers and lead the Nation again. Albany must take bold action and give nearly three million minimumwage New Yorkers the raise they deserve - $21.25 - no less will do." said Dennis Trainor, Vice President, CWA District 1.

"A minimum wage of less than $21.25 will mean no raise at all for thousands of our members – many of whom are earning less than $18 today but are still being crushed by skyrocketing prices and a minimum wage that just hasn't kept up. New York's minimum wage has been stuck at $15 for years and greedy corporations like Amazon and UPS have taken advantage to exploit employees. Workers are fighting back at the state capitol and through our unions to get what we deserve," said Antonio Rosario, Teamsters Local 804.

"New York is facing an unprecedented healthcare workforce crisis. Low wages, combined with the severe impact of the pandemic, have caused a staffing emergency across the healthcare industry," said George Gresham, President of 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East. "We urgently need to enact a budget that invests in workers and raises the minimum wage, to uplift New York families and protect the essential services that all of us rely on."

"Millions of hardworking New Yorkers can get the wage justice they need if Albany ends the delay and raises the minimum wage through the budget," said Michael Prohaska, Business Manager of the Mason Tenders District Council of Greater New York and Laborers Local 79. "The Laborers are proud to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with our union family in New York City and allies in Albany to support raising the minimum wage to $21.25 and indexing it to inflation."

"We need better pay so we can take care of ourselves and our families. I'm a single mother and I work at three agencies to provide for my family. I work 92 hours a week. If the wage was better, I would work 40 hours and it would cover my expenses, but the pay is not enough! Gov. Hochul, you need to invest in home care and invest in working people. We cannot keep doing critical jobs on poverty wages," said Honorina Landi, Homecare Worker, Premier.

The Raise the Wage Act would deliver a meaningful raise similar in scale to the $15 minimum wage-which delivered large raises to one in three New Yorkers without causing any job loss. Five independent studies have found that New York's 2016 legislation, which raised the minimum wage to $15, led to historic reductions in poverty and earnings inequality in New York without hurting job growth. In fact, both upstate and down, jobs in New York grew at least as fast, and in many cases faster, than they did in similar counties in states that didn't raise the minimum wage during that period. Raising the minimum wage also boosted sales at local businesses across New York and helped businesses keep their employees, saving them recruitment and retention costs.

A growing coalition of nearly 300 businesses and business organizations across New York State support the Raise the Wage Act because it will boost consumer spending, strengthen New York's workforce and businesses, and help build a more resilient economy. The group includes re- tailers, restaurants, farms, manufacturers, and other small businesses from every corner of the state. In their recent statement, businesses stated, "Raising the minimum wage pays off in lower employee turnover, lower hiring and training costs, increased productivity, and better customer service, which keeps customers coming back.

"Inflation is the highest it's been in 40 years and our current wage loses value every day. Workers deserve a robust, updated wage that respects the dignity of their labor and keeps our economy strong. Raising the minimum wage is a win-win," said New York City Council Majority Leader Keith Powers.

"The current inflation rates have effectively decreased the minimum wage, making it harder for families to make ends meet," said Council Member Marjorie Velázquez, Chair of the Committee on Consumer and Worker Protection. "By increasing the minimum wage, workers will be able to better support the needs of their families." p