NYC to get $15 Minimum Wage in 2019 [Updated]

According to the New York Times, (now being reported by plenty of others) New York’s Governor Andrew Cuomo has hammered out an agreement with the state legislature to push the minimum wage in the city up to $15/hour by 2018.

Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo and state legislative leaders announced on Thursday that they had reached a budget agreement that would raise the minimum wage in New York City to $15 by the end of 2018, but initiate slower increases elsewhere, even in the city’s wealthy suburbs.

For Mr. Cuomo, the wage agreement came with clear concessions, as some lawmakers outside the city won a softer phase-in period. Long Island and Westchester County will not reach a $15 wage for nearly six years; areas north of Westchester are assured only of reaching $12.50 by 2021.

...

With the minimum wage deal and another hard-fought measure — one that would eventually provide employees across the state 12 weeks of paid time off to care for newborns or sick relatives and for families dealing with military deployments — the governor was able to claim victory on two signature issues.

The Times article makes note of the fact that while the minimum wage and sick leave gains, there’s nothing about ethics reform. Which, if you know anything about Albany politics, should not be at all surprising.

I am not a fan of Andrew Cuomo (who’s a very different politician than his father) and I am sure as more of the details of the budget come out I will be reminded why I find him so distasteful, but I salute him for pushing through this reform.

Still this is a great victory. As the Times points out:

The movement began in earnest in New York City in late 2012, when fast-food workers began the so-called Fight for $15, which became a nationwide effort to increase wages and support unions.

Damn straight!

The current minimum wage in New York State is $9, with exceptions for fast food workers (who make a little bit more) and tipped workers (who make less).

[Update] Some more details around the budget agreement have emerged since I posted this last night (also I like Mario Cuomo). Syracuse.com has a more detailed breakdown with more of the details.

Minimum wage for all workers in NYC will go up to $11 at the end of this year, and then $13 at the end of next year. Finally reaching $15 at the end of 2018. NYC businesses with 10 or fewer employees (which is a lot of businesses) will bump to $10.50 after this year and increase slower ($1.50/year), reaching $15 in 2020.

The wealthy counties surrounding the city would see minimum wage increase to $10 in 2017 and rise by $1 per year reaching $15 in 2022. The rest of the state would do $9.70 in 2017 and $0.70/year reaching $12.50 in 2021 with the plan to eventually rise to $15 at some point after that as determined by bureaucrats in Albany.