For Immediate Release: October 1, 2026
Contact: Lisa Thomas, 347-415-6431, lisa@alignny.org
Raise Up NY Responds to Raise Freeze for 2027:
New Yorkers Need Swift Action for Fair Wages
New York, NY — In response to Governor Hochul’s proposal to adjust New York State’s minimum wage law, to offset the impact of a provision that blocks annual cost-of-living raises in years of job loss, Theodore A. Moore, a leader of the Raise Up NY coalition, released the following statement:
“New Yorkers need a raise. But this year, with the cost of living spiking again, and prices rising faster than paychecks, they won’t get one unless the legislature takes quick action. In 2023, lawmakers passed a package to gradually increase the minimum wage to $17 downstate and $16 upstate, with annual cost-of-living adjustments starting in 2027. But it contained a harmful loophole: in years of increased unemployment or job loss, no matter how minimal, workers would be denied a raise. Now, as indexing is scheduled to take effect, the NYS Department of Labor has revealed that this is one of those unfortunate years — raises will be frozen when relief is needed most.
No family should have to choose between groceries, rent, and childcare while billion-dollar corporations make record profits in our state. No worker should have to weigh taking a second or third job versus leaving the city they call home. We are pleased to see Governor Hochul acknowledge that the off-ramps are problematic. Now, let’s work together to strengthen the law expeditiously. By removing all off-ramps that freeze raises and establishing wage parity upstate, we can provide immediate relief for every working New Yorker. And long-term, Raise Up NY will keep fighting for $30 by 2030 in New York City and living wages across the State, to deliver a fair wage and a stable life for all New Yorkers.”
Raise Up NY is a coalition of labor unions, community groups, workers’ rights organizations, and businesses that support underpaid workers in the fight for fair wages and an economy that works for everyone. In 2023, the coalition fought to pass the Raise the Wage Act for a higher state minimum wage with annual cost-of-living increases, winning a partial victory when Governor Hochul adopted a minimum wage that reached $17 downstate and $16 upstate in 2026. But these raises are far from enough, and the fight for a living wage continues. The coalition is supporting local fights to raise the minimum wage in Tompkins County and Rochester, and now, we’re taking the fight to New York City. Once a leader in wages, the most expensive city in the nation is now far behind high-cost-of-living cities like Denver, San Francisco, and Seattle. We need to tackle our affordability crisis head-on by raising NYC’s minimum wage to $30 by 2030. Coordinated by ALIGN, Raise Up NY includes steering committee members Strong Economy For All Coalition, Amazon Labor Union, New York Communities for Change, Women Creating Change, Legal Momentum, Business for a Fair Minimum Wage, Make the Road New York, National Employment Law Project, Worker Justice Center of New York, Tompkins County Workers Center, Teamsters 804, and Workers Justice Project, among others.
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