Sen. Chuck Schumer Calls On Congress To Raise Minimum Wage
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Sen. Chuck Schumer is calling on Congress to pass the "Raise the Wage" Act, which was introduced in January.
The legislation would raise the minimum pay to $15 an hour by 2025.
Schumer acted as a waiter at Hunky Dory in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, on Friday to highlight the struggles tipped servers face. They make less than the minimum wage.
"We have to lessen the gap between the rich and poor. We have to give working people that view that if they work hard, they can have a better life and their kids can have a better life from them. When you work at subsistence wages, you can't do it," Schumer said.
New research from One Fair Wage and UC Berkeley finds low pay is the primary reason New York restaurant workers are leaving their jobs.