Albany, NY – In response to news reports that a deal is being negotiated to increase the minimum wage with a slower phase-in than Governor Cuomo proposed and possibly at a lower rate than $15 upstate, Karen Scharff, Executive Director of Citizen Action of New York, said:
“We can all agree that boosting wages downstate to $15 will help the economy and put millions of workers on a pathway out of poverty. That’s why our state’s leaders can’t leave upstate behind.
“The facts are clear that by 2021, New Yorkers in every corner of the state will need to earn more than $15 an hour just to meet the basics. So this isn’t a compromise. It’s a decision to condemn our communities to poverty.
“We’ll never revive the upstate economy if working people can only earn poverty wages. A vote for less than $15 is a vote to take away the right of people to work their way out of poverty.
“Communities across New York State are facing unimaginable poverty. In Rochester and Syracuse, more than 50% of children live in dire conditions. But it doesn’t have to be that way.
“Governor Cuomo and the legislators who we’ve elected need to boost our economy by lifting all workers out of poverty. They need to reach a final agreement that brings all working families in New York State to a minimum wage of $15.”
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