Organizing works—even on New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, sometimes. The panel he appointed to look into pay in the fast food industry has
recommended wages of $15 an hour for fast food chains with more than 30 stores in New York, to be phased in by 2018 in New York City and 2021 in the rest of the state.
Why only fast food workers?
Mayor Bill de Blasio has demanded a higher minimum wage in the city to account for its higher cost of living. But neither he nor the City Council has the power to set wages citywide.
When lawmakers in Albany balked at the idea, Mr. Cuomo convened a board to look at wages in the fast-food industry, which is one of the biggest employers of low-wage workers in the state, with about 180,000 employees. The acting state commissioner of labor, Mario Musolino, can issue an order accepting, rejecting or modifying the board’s recommendations.
Before giving Cuomo too much credit, remember that his support of state Senate Republicans is part of the reason a meaningful minimum wage increase wouldn't pass there.
If the recommendations are put into place, on December 31, New York City fast food workers would get a raise to $10.50 and fast food workers statewide would get a raise to $9.75. Currently the state minimum wage is $8.75 an hour.
Meanwhile, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors is following the lead of the Los Angeles City Council by moving toward a $15 minimum wage that would apply to county workers and unincorporated areas. And congressional Democrats, led by Sen. Bernie Sanders and Reps. Keith Ellison (D-MN) and Raul Grijalva (D-AZ), are introducing a $15 an hour minimum wage bill for Republicans to block as they've blocked other, lower minimum wage proposals.