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Fight For $15: First Phase Of NY State's Minimum Wage Increase Starts December 31, 2016

By

Jen Chung

Published Dec 29, 2016

Modified Dec 29, 2016

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By

Jen Chung

Published Dec 29, 2016

Modified Dec 29, 2016

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Earlier this year, Governor Andrew Cuomo signed a bill that will eventually raise state minimum wage to $15/hour—and it goes into effect on December 31st, 2016. His office is making sure everyone knows about it with a public awareness campaign.

There will be television ads (below) as well as a hotline—1-888-4-NYSDOL— for minimum wage workers who do not receive their pay increase by December 31st, 2016 to report their employers. Here are details of the phase-in:

• For workers in New York City employed by large businesses (those with at least 11 employees), the minimum wage will rise to $11 at the end of 2016, then another $2 each year after, reaching $15 on 12/31/2018.
• For workers in New York City employed by small businesses (those with 10 employees or fewer), the minimum wage will rise to $10.50 by the end of 2016, then another $1.50 each year after, reaching $15 on 12/31/2019
• For workers in Nassau, Suffolk and Westchester Counties, the minimum wage will increase to $10 at the end of 2016, then $1 each year after, reaching $15 on 12/31/2021.
• For workers in the rest of the state, the minimum wage will increase to $9.70 at the end of 2016, then another .70 each year after until reaching $12.50 on 12/31/2020 - after which the minimum wage will continue to increase to $15 on an indexed schedule to be set by the Director of the Division of Budget in consultation with the Department of Labor.

Cuomo said in a statement, "No one who works full-time should be condemned to a life of poverty and that's why New York took action to raise the wage and provide the opportunity of a decent life to millions of hard working New Yorkers. As we reach this milestone for a more fair and a more just New York, we are reminding workers they are owed a fair day's pay for a fair day's work and this administration will work to ensure they receive the wage increase to which they are entitled."

Of course, in 2015, Cuomo's reaction to legislators pushing to raise the minimum wage to $15/hour by the end of 2018 was a "sarcastic" "God bless them — shoot for the stars" before later admitting, after multiple protests and outcry, that he learned an "important lesson... You organize people around that dream, and you will see government follow."

Tagged

fight for $15

governor cuomo

minimum wage

ny state minimum wage

Jen Chung

Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.

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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations

Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations

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