On Wage Board’s Recommendation to Pay New York Fast-Food Workers $15

New York, NY— Following is a statement from Christine Owens, executive director of the National Employment Law Project, in response to the New York wage board’s recommendation to raise fast-food wages to $15:

“The arc of history bent further toward justice today when the New York wage board recommended $15 hourly pay for fast-food workers statewide. With today’s recommendation and the recent agreement in Massachusetts to pay Medicaid-funded home care workers $15 per hour, the Fight for $15 has jumped to the state level, and we expect the trend to only continue in other cities and states.

“Today’s recommendations reaffirm the simple and powerful truth that by joining together and putting their jobs on the line in the fight for fair wages and the right to form a union, workers in one corner of America can be the agents of historic change that will reverberate across industries and all over the nation.

“The Fight for $15 began less than three years ago in New York City, and now it’s achieving one of its biggest victories right where it started. People thought workers had no shot, but now they are winning $15 around the nation, political leaders are lining up to support them, and even large employers are racing to raise pay. And communities are prioritizing the crucial enforcement of the minimum wage as workers speak out about having wages illegally stolen from their paychecks. New York must strongly enforce its new policy to hold all fast-food employers accountable to the law. 

“We commend Governor Cuomo and the wage board for their leadership in taking this historic step to raise wages and help hundreds of thousands of working New Yorkers. It’s smart for workers. It’s smart for New Yorkers. And it’s smart for the economy.” 

Fact Sheet: A $15 Minimum Wage for New York’s Fast-Food Workers

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For Immediate Release: July 22, 2015
Contact: Niketa Kumar, niketa.kumar@berlinrosen.com, 646.200.5289