Report: New York On Verge Of Approving $15 Minimum Wage For Fast Food Industry
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Fast food workers in New York state could soon get their wish of being paid at least $15 an hour.
A wage board empaneled by Gov. Andrew Cuomo is expected to recommend raising the minimum wage for the fast food industry Wednesday, The Wall Street Journal reported. The state's acting labor commissioner, Mario Musolino, is expected to approve the measure, according to the report.
State law allows for the labor commissioner to investigate if wages paid in a specific industry are sufficient, WCBS 880's Sean Adams reported.
Report: New York On Verge Of Approving $15 Minimum Wage For Fast Food Industry
In May, Cuomo ordered the wage board to be created, and its recommendations, he said, do not require legislative approval.
At the time, the governor wrote in an op-ed in The New York Times that because fast food wages are so low, it costs the state $700 million a year in public assistance.
Franchise owners told The Wall Street Journal they fear what the increase could do to their business model. There are still some questions as to just how a restaurant would be classified as "fast food."
Meanwhile, economists are wondering how singling out a single industry will affect other low-wage jobs.
The current minimum wage in New York is $8.75. It is scheduled to climb to $9 by the end of the year.
