Mayor de Blasio Promises $15 Minimum For All City Workers

Mayor’s announcement guarantees 50,000 city employees will make $15/hour by end of 2018 

NEW YORK—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 Mayor 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. Mayor 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.

Mayor de Blasio has fought for a $15 minimum wage on the State and federal levels. Raising the minimum wage is a key part of Mayor de Blasio’s OneNYC goal of lifting 800,000 New Yorkers out of poverty over the next ten years.

“We will continue our fight to ensure that all working New Yorkers, including all healthcare workers regardless of the funding source, make at least $15 an hour throughout the state,” said George Gresham, President of 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East.

Last month, Mayor de Blasio’s announced 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.

City Workers

Over 20,000 direct city employees will benefit from the Mayor’s announcement and see their wages boosted to $15/hour by December 31, 2018 on the following schedule, with the 2015 and 2016 wages reflective of the lowest salaries under current contracts:

The employees who will benefit from this increase include school crossing guards, City seasonal aides, job training participants, and a number of other titles, largely represented by DC37.

“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.

The cost of implementing this proposal for direct City employees would be $36 million over the city’s Financial Plan through Fiscal Year 2020.

Outside Social Service Agency Workers

Mayor de Blasio is also funding this benefit for employees at social service organizations who do contracted work for the City, known as purchase of service employees. In total, approximately 30,000 purchase of service employees will benefit from the increased wages and see a $15/hour minimum wage by December 31, 2018, on the following schedule:

The 30,000 employees who will benefit from this increase include teacher aides, custodial aides, family and infant care workers, and a number of other titles.

These employees already saw their wages boosted to $11.50/hour under Mayor de Blasio’s Fiscal Year 2016 adopted budget.

The cost of implementing this proposal for Purchase of Service employees would be $202 million over the Financial Plan through Fiscal Year 2020.

The move to raise wages to $15 an hour by 2018 will not only lift our city’s economy but the morale of thousands of city and non-profit employees,” said Council Member Andy King, Co-Chair of the Black, Latino & Asian Caucus.