NYS Minimum Wages Rising

WAMC Northeast Public Radio | By Dave Lucas

Published December 30, 2015 at 7:27 PM EST

Year's end means higher wages for thousands of workers across New York state.

Thursday the state's base minimum wage rises from $8.75 an hour to $9. New York is one of 16 states increasing minimum wages on New Year's Eve or New Year's Day.

Fast-food workers will see their minimum wage rise to $10.50 in New York City and $9.75 elsewhere in the rest of the state.

The base hourly rate for restaurant servers and other tipped workers will increase to $7.50.

The increase in the broader minimum wage was passed by lawmakers in 2013. The raises for fast-food employees and tipped workers were approved this year by Governor Andrew Cuomo.

The Democrat wants to phase in a $15 minimum for all workers, a proposal lawmakers will debate next year.

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Dave Lucas

Dave Lucas is WAMC’s Capital Region Bureau Chief. Born and raised in Albany, he’s been involved in nearly every aspect of local radio since 1981. Before joining WAMC, Dave was a reporter and anchor at WGY in Schenectady. Prior to that he hosted talk shows on WYJB and WROW, including the 1999 series of overnight radio broadcasts tracking the JonBenet Ramsey murder case with a cast of callers and characters from all over the world via the internet. In 2012, Dave received a Communicator Award of Distinction for his WAMC news story "Fail: The NYS Flood Panel," which explores whether the damage from Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee could have been prevented or at least curbed. Dave began his radio career as a “morning personality” at WABY in Albany.

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