AG Tish James, NYC CLC, DC37, 1199, 32BJ and More Rally in NYC for a $21.25 Minimum Wage!

NEW YORK, NY (04/10/2023) (readMedia)-- On Monday, Attorney General Letitia James and over ten labor unions joined forces to rally for a $21.25 minimum wage in the final state budget. As New Yorkers face the gravest cost of living crisis in 40 years, NYC unions NYC Central Labor Council, DC37, 32BJ, 1199, NYSNA, CWA, Laborers Local 79, Steamfitters Local 638, NYS Ironworkers, IUPAT DC 9, and Teamsters Local 804 are urging Albany lawmakers to raise the state's minimum wage to $21.25 by 2026 before indexing it to inflation. Over 30 labor unions across New York have joined the Raise Up NY coalition to fight for the Raise the Wage Act, which would benefit 2.9 million New Yorkers with an annual raise of $3,300. The legislation is extremely popular among New Yorkers, with recent polling showing that 80% of New Yorkers – including 65% of Republican voters – support raising the minimum wage to $20+ before indexing it. In addition to labor support, the Raise the Wage Act has support from 160 organizations, nearly 300 businesses, and over 80 Albany Democratic lawmakers, ranging from progressives to moderates.

Watch the livestream of the press conference here.

With the minimum wage frozen at $15 downstate, and only $14.20 upstate, wages are now worth 15% less than they were in 2019. This means $15 has the purchasing power of just $12.75 today. Governor Kathy Hochul's budget proposal would only index New York's minimum wage starting at the current $15, increasing worker pay by only $13/week for only 900,000 workers – a far less effective proposal compared to the Raise the Wage Act.

New York State is not alone in grappling with a dire affordability crisis – many states and cities are working to raise their minimum wages by 2027. High cost regions of the country, including Washington, D.C., Denver, San Francisco, and Seattle already have minimum wages in the $17 to $18 range and are projected to reach $20 to $21 by 2027. And high cost states like Massachusetts are proposing to raise their wages to $20 by 2027 in response to the sky-rocketing cost of living.

"What labor has done for New York cannot be quantified by a dollar amount. We owe workers a debt of gratitude that can never truly be repaid," said New York Attorney General Letitia James. "Workers are the ones who show up in times of crisis and the ones who keep us moving forward. They are essential, and they should be paid enough to afford the essentials for their families. I am proud to stand with labor leaders and hardworking New Yorkers statewide to demand the raise workers deserve."

"It's past time for NY to break the cycle of infrequent wage increases that fail to keep up with the rising costs of living," said New York City Central Labor Council, AFL-CIO President Vincent Alvarez. "While we're all feeling the pain of rising costs, lower wage workers are being hit the hardest. Most minimum wage workers struggling to make ends meet are adults, and more than a quarter are supporting families. We need to raise the wage to $21.25 and automatically adjust that wage annually-and with 81% of New Yorkers already in support, we can and must get it done this year. Three million working New Yorkers and their families can't afford to wait."

"New York must be proactive in fighting for working families and ensuring they aren't left behind. The value of the city's minimum wage has plummeted far below what workers need to make a living here. The Raise the Wage Act will restore the badly eroded minimum wage and increase it automatically each year to make sure it doesn't fall behind again," said Henry Garrido, DC 37 Executive Director.

The CEO of McDonalds makes $21.8 million dollars a year. That number translates over $10 thousand dollars an hour for a forty hour week. We need to balance the scales and raise the minimum wage," said James P. Mahoney, President, International Association of Bridge, Structural, Ornamental and Reinforcing Iron Workers. "The NYS District Council of Iron Workers and our 16 Locals and 10,000 members stand shoulder to shoulder with workers across the labor movement in the fight for dignified wages. Our commitment to solidarity compels us to fight for the Raise the Wage Act. We're proud to join our voice to the demand that the legislature raise the minimum wage to $21.25, then indexing so no worker falls behind again."

"Steamfitters Local 638 is proud to stand with our brothers and sisters in the NY labor movement to raise the wage, because morally it is the right thing to do and anything that raises the wage floor inevitably benefits all workers, including those in our industry we have yet to organize and represent," 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 minimum-wage 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 retailers, 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."

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