Res. No. 189
Resolution calling upon the New York State Legislature to pass and the Governor to sign A.9036/S.6516, authorizing local governments to establish and enforce higher levels of minimum wage.
By Council Members Dromm, Miller, Johnson, Levine, Maisel, Chin, Constantinides, Dickens, Gibson, Lander, Rose, Menchaca, Richards, Van Bramer, Cohen, Levin, Kallos, Torres, Williams, Rosenthal, Barron, Crowley, Arroyo, Reynoso and Rodriguez
Whereas, During his 2014 State of the Union Address, President Barack Obama called upon the United States Congress to raise the minimum wage to $10.10 per hour; and
Whereas, During his 2013 State of the State Address, Governor Andrew Cuomo called upon the New York legislature to raise the minimum wage from $7.25 per hour to $8.75 and for future increases to be automatically indexed to inflation; and
Whereas, The 2013 New York State budget passed by the legislature and signed by Governor Cuomo raised the minimum wage from $7.25 per hour to $9 per hour over the course of three years, beginning with $8 by the end of 2013, $8.75 by the end of 2014 and $9 by the end of 2015 with no index to inflation; and
Whereas, Since the recent minimum wage increase in New York State, before taxes, a full time minimum wage worker in New York earning $8 per hour, working 40 hours a week, 52 weeks a year, will earn $64 per day, $320 per week, or $16,640 per year; and
Whereas, According to several cost of living calculators, a minimum wage worker earning $16,640 per year in Albany, New York would need to earn twice that amount in order to afford to live in Brooklyn, New York; and
Whereas, The cost of living varies greatly throughout New York State; and
Whereas, According to data from the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average price of food in New York City and the surrounding metropolitan area increased by nearly 5 percent from August 2010 to August 2011; and
Whereas, According to estimates by CNNMoney, such a worker from Brooklyn rather than Albany would pay 184 percent more for housing, 22 percent more for groceries, 36 percent more for utilities and 16 percent more for health care; and
Whereas, According to the most recent available data from the New York City Center for Economic Opportunity, the New York City poverty threshold for a family unit consisting of two people is $30,945 per year, and poverty in New York City has increased since 2008, with twenty-one percent of residents living at or below the poverty level; and
Whereas, According to the Fiscal Policy Institute, workers of color and women are more likely to earn low wages, and 90 percent of fast food workers are individuals of color; and
Whereas, According to the New York Times, on March 26, 2014, the Connecticut State Legislature passed a law raising the state minimum wage to $10.10 by 2017; and
Whereas, In the November 5, 2013 election, the people of New Jersey voted by referendum to raise the minimum wage to $8.25 and to index future increases to inflation; and
Whereas, The cities of Washington, D.C., San Francisco, Santa Fe, San Jose and Albuquerque have city-wide minimum wage rates higher than their corresponding state and the overall federal minimum wage; and
Whereas, Cities like Chicago, San Francisco and Seattle are currently considering raising their local minimum wages to $15 per hour, according to MSNBC; and
Whereas, Minimum wage workers in New York City would be helped by the establishment of a separate and higher minimum wage rate which would counter regional cost of living variances; and
Whereas, However, New York State law currently prohibits municipalities like New York City from setting their own minimum wage; and
Whereas, According to economic research, a higher minimum wage would likely increase spending on locally produced goods and services by workers benefiting from such increased wages, which in turn would likely produce greater demand and help stimulate the local economy; and
Whereas, New York City residents in minimum wage jobs should be provided with an increased wage to better support their families and provide them with food and shelter; and
Whereas, New York State Senate Bill S.6516, by Senator Andrea Stewart-Cousins, and Assembly Bill A.9036 by Assembly Member Karim Camara would authorize municipalities to raise the minimum wage locally; now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Council of the City of New York calls upon the New York State Legislature to pass and the Governor to sign A.9036/S.6516, authorizing local governments to establish and enforce higher levels of minimum wage.
PD/MWC
LS#5234/ LS#4455 (Session 9)/ LS#954 (Session 10)/
4/29/14