New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has announced a plan to raise the minimum wage for workers at the State University of New York to $15 an hour.
At a rally in New York City Monday, Cuomo said the move would gradually raise pay levels for more than 28,000 employees—including hourly paid staff and student workers—starting in February of this year. The higher wage will start at $9.75 an hour, ultimately reaching $15 an hour by the end of 2018 in New York City and in July of 2021 statewide.
“[Today’s] minimum wage still leaves far too many people behind—unacceptably condemning them to a life of poverty even while they work full-time,” Cuomo said in a news release. “This year we are going to change that. We are going to raise the minimum wage of hardworking New Yorkers and lead the nation in the fight for fair pay.”
The SUNY Board of Trustees is expected to approve the increase during its January board meeting.