Fight For $15: First Phase Of NY State's Minimum Wage Increase Starts December 31, 2016
Fight For $15: First Phase Of NY State's Minimum Wage Increase Starts December 31, 2016 BY JEN CHUNG IN NEWS ON DEC 29, 2016 3:15 PM
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.
