It’s raining dollars from City Hall and thousands of working-class Brooklynites are set to reap the benefits.
That after Mayor Bill de Blasio today announced a $15 minimum wage for all City government employees and employees who provide contracted work for the City at social service organizations – meaning that by the end of 2018, approximately 50,000 additional employees will see their wages boosted to $15 an hour.
“We know that nothing does more to lift up working families and move our economy forward than raising wages – and the City is leading by example by doing just that for these 50,000 additional New Yorkers,” said de Blasio. “From pre-K and affordable housing, to paid sick and parental leave, we’re taking real action for working New Yorkers.”
Under current contracts, wages are already ahead of the minimum wage increase that has been proposed in Albany. However, most contracts expire in 2017 or 2018. De Blasio’s announcement today guarantees that all employees will make $15 an hour by the end of 2018, regardless of whether their contract expires beforehand. The City will immediately work with municipal unions and social service providers to sign letters of understanding that guarantee the increased wages.
The pay hikes, which is to be phased in through 2018, comes after de Blasio has long fought for a $15 minimum wage on the state and federal levels. It is also a key plank to hiz honor’s OneNYC goal of lifting 800,000 New Yorkers out of poverty over the next 10 years.
The announcement also comes on the heels of the mayor’s recent announcement that he will provide six weeks fully-paid parental leave to all 20,000 unrepresented managerial and original jurisdiction employees – allowing employees to take up to 12 weeks, when combined with existing leave – and immediately move to negotiate the same benefit with municipal unions.
The employees who will benefit from the pay hikes include school crossing guards, City seasonal aides, job training participants, and a number of other titles, largely represented by DC37.
The cost of implementing this proposal for direct City employees would be $36 million over the Financial Plan (through Fiscal Year 2020).
The raises also affect some 30,000 workers that social service organizations employs through contracted work with the city such as teacher aides, custodial aides, family and infant care workers, and a number of other titles. The cost to the city for these raises would be $202 million spread out through Fiscal Year 2020.
Among the federal officials hailing the raises included U.S. Labor Secretary Thomas Perez, who noted pay hikes are about fairness and the dignity of work.
No one who works a full-time job in this country should have to live in poverty. Mayor Bill de Blasio’s action today is the right thing to do and the smart thing to do; it will give city workers a little more money in their pockets to spend in their community – and a little more breathing room and peace of mind. While Republicans in Congress continue to stand in the way of giving millions of Americans a raise, President Obama and I will continue to support city and state officials across the country who act to create shared prosperity for all workers,” said Perez.
A long line of Brooklyn’s elected official, union officials and community based organization leaders also heartedly endorsed the pay hikes.
“Even as our city experiences unprecedented prosperity, many families have not been allowed the opportunity to share in its abundance. There are thousands of workers with full-time jobs – and sometimes multiple jobs – who cannot afford basic necessities, as the cost of housing and other fundamental needs continues to increase. The announcement by Mayor de Blasio that New York City will pay its employees and contracted workers a $15 an hour minimum wage offers hope to thousands of residents struggling to make ends meet. I will continue working with Mayor de Blasio to further efforts to secure a living wage for every worker in our communities,” said Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams.
“This marks a new day for thousands of hard-working public employees who have been struggling to raise families and make ends meet in one of the most expensive cities in the world,” said District Council 37 Executive Director Henry Garrido. “We commend Mayor de Blasio for continuing to do the right thing for working families. We have been pushing for this day since we reached a living wage agreement with the city last spring. We applaud Mayor de Blasio’s effort to help all New Yorkers share in the city’s economic prosperity.”
“When New York City fast food workers launched their fight for $15 three years ago they started a movement that swept through our city and our country. Mayor de Blasio stood on the picket line with the first strikers and now he’s putting his steadfast support of fair pay in action with his plan to raise the minimum wage for city employees and city-contracted employees,” said 32BJ President Hector Figueroa. “32BJ members know what a difference good pay makes and now more than 50,000 workers will see that difference for themselves. This is good for these workers and their families, good for their communities and good for our city,” said Hector Figueroa, President, SEIU 32BJ.
“In an age of stagnating wages and increasing income inequality, we must do everything we can to demonstrate our commitment to a fairer future for all New Yorkers,” said Congressman Jerrold Nadler. “Unfortunately, many working families continue to struggle to get by on remarkably low wages. The current workers’ wage is simply not enough to live on, which is why I commend Mayor De Blasio for providing a living wage of $15 to all City workers. Once again, New York City provides an example of how we can combat poverty and expand opportunity for everyone with fair wages.”
“I commend Mayor de Blasio and the leaders of DC37, CWA, DC1707 and others for taking this step to raise the floor for thousands of public servants. This is the kind of collaboration between labor and government that will deliver real economic justice for workers,” said Coney Island State Senator Diane Savino.
“The City’s announcement brings us a step closer to a fair day’s wage for a fair day’s work,” said Downtown Brooklyn State Senator Daniel Squadron. “I’m proud to have introduced the first $15 wage bill in the state, and look forward to continue working with city and state colleagues in the fight for $15.
“Mayor de Blasio’s commitment to increase the wages of city workers is a key expression of our city’s commitment to tackle inequality and spread opportunity. Civil service has historically been a path to the middle class for residents of central Brooklyn and this change ensures that this will continue to be the case, despite increasing costs of living. I applaud this wholeheartedly and hope that it will be a model for business owners across New York City,” said Bed-Stuy Council Member Robert E. Cornegy, Jr. Chair of the Committee on Small Business.
“The struggle to make ends meet is common in households across New York City, including public servants who work as city government employees. I applaud Mayor de Blasio for raising the minimum wage to $15 by 2018, which will ensure that hard-working New Yorkers will not be displaced by rising rents and can continue to sustain the communities they built,” said Fort Greene Council Member Laurie A. Cumbo.
“All hard-working employees deserve to make a living wage. With New York City’s high living costs, a $15 minimum wage for all city government employees is a step in the right direction to ensuring higher pay for hard workers throughout the city. This pay increase will help 50,000 families live life a little more comfortably and I commend Mayor Bill de Blasio for making wage increases for our workers a top priority,” said Flatbush Council Member Mathieu Eugene.
“Everyone who works hard deserves to earn enough to feed their family and pay the rent — and that goes double for City workers and contractors like school crossing guards, day care, and home care workers. I’m proud that New York City is at the forefront in the Fight for $15,” said Park Slope Council Member Brad Lander.
“At Brooklyn Community Services, our focus is on empowering low income families in our community, so we are very mindful of the struggles faced by many of the dedicated employees who make our work possible, as they, too, strive to support their own families. We applaud Mayor de Blasio’s efforts to ensure the fiscal stability of nonprofit service providers like BCS, and we’re especially grateful for today’s commitment to a living wage for our workforce,” said Marla Simpson, Executive Director of Brooklyn Community Services.
