Jessica Galen, owner of Bloomy Cheese & Provisions in Dobbs Ferry
On Jan. 1, New York’s minimum wage will increase to $16 in New York City, Long Island and Westchester County, and $15 for the rest of the state as the first step under New York’s minimum wage raise passed earlier this year. Business owners across New York are welcoming the minimum wage increases, saying they will boost consumer spending and bolster New York businesses.
New York’s minimum wage will continue to increase by 50 cents a year for the next two years, until it reaches $17 in New York City, Westchester County and Long Island, and $16 upstate by 2026. Starting in 2027, the minimum wage will be indexed annually, but unfortunately, there is a counterproductive “off-ramp” provision that suspends cost of living adjustments when unemployment goes up. In reality, raising the minimum wage is a powerful way to boost the economy during downturns because it puts money in the pockets of people who most need to spend it.
Jessica Galen, owner of Bloomy Cheese & Provisions in Dobbs Ferry, New York, said, “When people are working full-time jobs, but don’t make enough money to make ends meet, that’s bad for our whole community. Raising the minimum wage will help people afford what local businesses are selling, which drives our economy forward. For us to rebuild local businesses and main streets after the pandemic, we have to recognize that we’re all in this together. With minimum wage increases, our workforce is stronger, our local businesses are stronger, our tax base is stronger, and our quality of life is better.”
Phil Andrews, president of the Long Island African American Chamber of Commerce, said, “It’s a good thing the minimum wage is going up. It would be even better if it were going higher than $16 on January 1 to better reflect Long Island’s cost of living. Minimum wage increases turn into spending on food, car repairs, school supplies and more. Small businesses thrive when the people who are our customers have more money to spend. And there are strong connections between employee pay, employee retention, productivity and customer service. At the Long Island African American Chamber of Commerce, we are committed to strengthening businesses, the workforce and our economy. That’s why we support a strong minimum wage.”
Annie Adams, owner of Second Chic, with two clothing stores in Buffalo, New York, said, “As a small business owner, I’m invested in New York and building a business to last. That’s why I welcome New York’s minimum wage increases. Both our stores have incredible followings because our employees know our changing inventory and love to help customers. Retail businesses often have high turnover caused by low wages and poor treatment of staff. It’s very shortsighted. High turnover costs you in time and money spent on hiring and training new employees. And high turnover costs you dearly in lost sales and lost customers. When workers in our community make more money, they can spend more at local businesses.”
Deepti Brambl, CEO of Kaylaan, a manufacturer in Floral Park, New York, said, “The minimum wage increase to $16 on Long Island is past due and we look forward to further increases in the future. We pay better wages and benefits so our employees can make a living and want to stay with our company. We benefit from low employee turnover and increased efficiency, morale and productivity. Raising the minimum wage is important for workers, customers and businesses.”
Scott Tillitt, founder of Beahive with coworking spaces in Beacon, Cold Spring and Newburgh, New York, said, “A strong minimum wage is essential to building a resilient economy that works for everyone – from workers to businesses to our larger communities. Through Beahive and a localism nonprofit I co-founded, I’ve worked with thousands of entrepreneurs, small businesses and community groups in the Hudson Valley, and I know that raising the minimum wage is vital for workers and will boost the consumer spending that local businesses depend on to survive and grow. We’re glad the Upstate minimum wage will finally get to $15 on January 1, and welcome stronger steps to a more livable minimum wage.”
The New York Business for a Fair Minimum Wage Coalition, made up of more than 300 businesses and business organizations across New York, advocated for an even more robust incremental minimum wage increase to $21.25 by 2026/2027 plus indexing as proposed in the 2023 Raise the Wage Act, which would have restored the eroded value of the minimum wage and keep up with the cost of living in future years.
Visit https://www.businessforafairminimumwage.org/ for more information.
