Fast food workers in New York state — beginning in New York City — will soon be paid a minimum wage of $15 an hour. The state’s current minimum wage is $8.75 an hour. Franchise owners are unhappy. Workers are pleased. With the new requirement, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo acts on a recommendation from a panel he appointed to study the issue.
Pressure from advocates for fast food workers has been intense and, apparently, persuasive. Other minimum wage workers across New York, including those employed by Walmart and at independent burger spots like local delis, will get no wage relief from the law. Because the new law imposes the requirement on a single industry — fast food — while allowing other businesses to hire cheaper labor, it should face legal challenges.
