FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
January 1, 2019

Speaker Heastie Statement on Minimum Wage Increase


The Assembly Majority believes that every hardworking New Yorker deserves the opportunity to climb the economic ladder. We know that putting families first means putting them on a path towards financial independence. No one working a full-time job should live in poverty.

That is why we fought tirelessly to establish a meaningful plan for sustainable wage growth in New York. In 2016, we successfully enacted legislation that scheduled annual wage increases for workers all across the state.

With the new year, wages will rise to: $15 an hour for workers employed by large businesses in New York City; $13.50 an hour for workers employed by small businesses in New York City; $12 an hour for workers in Nassau, Suffolk and Westchester Counties; and $11.10 for workers across the rest of the state.

This increase would not have been possible without the tireless efforts of my Assembly Majority colleagues. In the upcoming legislative session, we will continue to put families first and will remain committed to finding new ways to make a difference in the lives of New Yorkers.