THE CRISIS
Working people are struggling to afford life in NYC. One in every four New Yorkers lives in poverty, while the City has the highest concentration of billionaires in the world. NYC’s minimum wage is far too low. Working 40 hours a week at the minimum wage shouldn’t mean living in poverty, but at $17 an hour, workers are being pushed out of the city, or forced to work multiple jobs to survive.
THE MOVEMENT
Every New Yorker deserves to thrive. Every worker deserves a fair wage. It’s time to take back our city for our people. We must raise the minimum wage to a living wage and ensure that our city is truly great for all New Yorkers.
The Raise Up NY coalition introduced legislation with councilmember Sandy Nurse to raise the minimum wage to $30 by 2030, with increases based on the cost of living in the years to follow. By raising the wage, we can begin to repair years of disinvestment and harm to low-wage workers, and ensure that every New Yorker gets their fair share.
Mayor Mamdani supported raising the minimum wage to $30 by 2030 in his campaign affordability agenda, and voters turned out in historic numbers to elect him. Raising the minimum wage is a popular policy. Now, it’s time to deliver.
Raise Up NY Steering Committee Members
ALIGN, Strong Economy for All, Amazon Labor Union, New York Communities for Change, Women Creating Change, Legal Momentum, Teamsters Local 804, Business for a Fair Minimum Wage, Worker Justice Project.
BENEFITS OF RAISING THE MINIMUM WAGE
For workers and communities. A 2023 analysis by the Center on Poverty and Social Policy at Columbia University found that between 2016 and 2019, the poverty rate in New York City fell by approximately 15 percentage points among underpaid workers who benefited from the last round of minimum wage increases to $15.
For business. Higher wages reduce employee turnover, cutting significant employer recruitment and retention costs; and higher wages put more money into workers’ pockets, stimulating consumer demand and job creation
For government. Higher wages reduce reliance on government assistance and increase tax revenue; taxpayer dollars would shift away from supporting poor workers and back to business
For public health. A $1 increase in the minimum wage is linked to an increase in the probability of children being in excellent health.
- 10-11% increase in the probability of children being in excellent health.
- 29-57% decrease in the probability of poor health.
- 26-42% decrease in school absences due to illness.
- 2% decrease in violent behavior in children whose caregivers lack a high school diploma.
RESOURCES
EPI – A ‘$30 by 2030’ minimum wage in New York City is a bold proposal
NELP – Why New York City Needs a Higher Minimum Wage
Data for Progress – New York Voters Across the State Demand a Higher Minimum Wage
Columbia University Poverty Center – The Effects of the of the New York City Minimum Wage Increases on Earnings, Poverty, and Material Hardship: Evidence from the Poverty Tracker
For more information about this campaign, contact Oriana Shulevitz Rosado at oriana@alignny.org