Jaffee Pushes to Increase NY State Minimum Wage

Workers earning minimum wage in Pearl River, throughout Orangetown and the rest of New York may see a boost to their paycheck if Assemblywoman Ellen Jaffee (D-Suffern) has her way.

Jaffee is calling on the state senate to pass a bill that would increase minimum wage in New York from $7.25 to $8.50 per hour. The legislation passed the Assembly today, with Jaffee voting in favor.

"During these still difficult times, raising the minimum wage is the right thing to do for both our families and our economy," Jaffee said. "People who work full-time shouldn’t be poor, and the Assembly’s legislation will make sure that New Yorkers living on minimum-wage salaries can actually survive on their pay. The Senate now needs to step up for our workers and pass this urgent legislation."

If successful, the bill would aid over one million New Yorkers, and help affected Rockland families pay for groceries and medicine, Jaffee added.

"Over the past five years, New York’s minimum wage has only increased 10 cents per hour, which is not enough for Rockland families to pay for things like rent, heat, gas, food and prescription drugs," she said. added. "By increasing the minimum wage, the quality of life for more than one million New Yorkers will be improved."

A total of 18 states across the US currently have a higher minimum wage than New York, including Connecticut and Massachusetts.

The bill also seeks to increase the minimum wage for wait staff from $5 per hour to $5.86 per hour.

If the legislation is adopted, the new wages would be indexed to inflation starting January 2014.