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“The Assembly Majority introduced the bill to increase the minimum wage more than a year ago. Since that time, the people of New York have shown overwhelming support to help hard working families forced to live in poverty,” said Silver. “This week, the issue claimed the national stage as a critical component of the President’s agenda. I am heartened by his rousing endorsement to raise the wage and tie it to the cost of living. However, New York cannot wait while Washington weighs the pros and cons of a federal shift in the minimum wage. We must act now.”
“I have never been more proud of my House. The amendment to this bill is consistent with what our President and his bold leadership projected. It is my sincerest hope that the Senate will prove themselves to be more concerned about the people in the State of the New York than their federal counterparts have been,” said Wright, sponsor of the bill with Silver.
The legislation calls for the minimum wage to increase to nine dollars an hour in January of 2014. Beginning in 2015, the minimum wage will be indexed, requiring an increase each year to adjust for inflation according to the Consumer Price Index (CPI). The measure will also set wages for food service workers who receive tips at $6.21.
The District of Columbia, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Vermont and 16 other states have higher minimum wage rates than New York State.
Ten other states have passed legislation indexing the minimum wage.