Tuesday, September 30, 2014

Living wage expanded

From the NY Times:

Mayor Bill de Blasio plans to sign an executive order on Tuesday significantly expanding New York City’s living wage law, covering thousands of previously exempt workers and raising the hourly wage itself, to $13.13 from $11.90, for workers who do not receive benefits.

The change is also intended to frame a looming debate in Albany, where Mr. de Blasio hopes to win the authority to set the citywide minimum wage at the same amount. If Mr. de Blasio succeeds in matching the minimum wage to the living wage, all hourly workers in the city would earn more than $15 by 2019, according to the city’s projections.

The executive order will immediately cover employees of commercial tenants on projects that receive more than $1 million in city subsidies going forward. Workers who receive benefits such as health insurance will earn $11.50 an hour, compared with $10.30 before.

While cautioning that it was “notoriously difficult to develop projections related to economic development,” the administration estimated that about 18,000 workers would be covered over the next five years, roughly 70 percent of all the jobs at businesses that will receive new financial assistance from the city’s Economic Development Corporation.

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

If you want to do something for the city and the people then stop the corruption first. It's affecting many people's lives.

Anonymous said...

I'm not a political genius so I ask, why an executive order when de Blasio's party holds 48 of the 51 council seats?

I suggest all the visiting to and admiration of Caribbean dictatorships has had an effect on the mayor.

Middle Villager said...

"employees of commercial tenants on projects that receive more than $1 million in city subsidies" So I guess that the City is paying for the raises.

Anonymous said...

Thats right comrade, more money for votes.

Anonymous said...

Political Corruption is the number one problem in NYC and NYS and solving that will solve many other problems.

We need to go after them tooth and nail. The only thing holding us back is the vague sense of fear they project back to us if we do.

They are paper tigers folks. Paper tigers indeed.

Middle Villager said...

To Anon#4 The problem is not fear, it is apathy and stupidity. A 1 party system is a breeding ground for corruption and NYC has had a 1 party system for years. You get the government you deserve.

Anonymous said...

Is this mayor delusional?

$13.13 * 40 = $525.20, and only $600 at $15/hour

How is that in any way a livable wage in NYC? Who comes up with these ridiculous numbers?

Even a shitty, illegal basement hallway apartment is $800, and they're not meant for families!

Get real!

Anonymous said...

I"m not a liberal, but actually, I DO want companies receiving money from the NYCEDC - ie MY TAX DOLLARS - actually paying people who do work, not people who get kickbacks.

Anonymous said...

Anon #5: you're assuming these people live by themselves. Working 50 weeks a year, that's 60K pretax household. It would in fact be life changing for a lot of people, even if it's a bad idea for other reasons.

Anonymous said...

And im guessing small businesses have been so financially successful these past few years that they can actually afford this wage increase? Its obvious by looking at all of the shuttered store fronts littering the 5 boroughs that small businesses can afford to waste their excess cash reserves...being that all is going so well in this new economic golden age and all.
**** off Blaz

Anonymous said...

search: "discoverthenetwork.org for bill deblasio and his past will teach one how he saved the taxpayers $$$$$$$$$.

Anonymous said...

HERE LIES THE FREE MARKET, KILLED BY MAYOR DIBLASIO