Cuomo used the Javits Center in NYC as the venue for signing the
minimum wage increase, and 12-week family leave policy
NEW YORK – The plan to raise the minimum wage in New York State to $15 was signed into law on Monday by Governor Cuomo. The legislation was part of the state’s 2016-17 budget adopted days ago. He also signed the 12-week paid family leave policy.
“These policies will not only lift up the current generation of low-wage workers and their families, but ensure fairness for future generations and enable them to climb the ladder of opportunity,” the governor said.
Senate Independent Democratic Conference Leader Jeffrey Klein called this “The Year of the Workers.” He said both new laws “will make a tremendous difference in the lives of our workforce.”
Senate Democratic Minority Leader Andrea Stewart–Cousins said New York “has always been a progressive leader and we have proven that fact once again with the passage of a higher minimum wage and the strongest paid family leave program in the nation.”
The increase to $15 will be phased in. For the Hudson Valley and the rest of upstate New York, the minimum wage would 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 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.
