1199SEIU Members Fought Tirelessly to Win the Fight for $15 in 2016
Thousands of Healthcare Workers Across the Five Boroughs will see a Wage Increase on Their Pay Stubs in January to $11/hour

New York, NY – On December 31, all workers who make under $11 an hour in New York City will begin to earn a higher wage as part of the Fight for $15 victory earlier this year. The wage increase will affect hundreds of thousands of workers, tens of thousands being healthcare workers – many of whom provide care for the elderly.

“This increase marks the first step towards New York State having a livable minimum wage,” said 1199SEIU President George Gresham. “Some may believe that this raise doesn’t amount to much, but in fact for many of our members, this increase spells the difference between paying their rent and putting food on the table. Thanks to the leadership by Governor Cuomo, workers in New York are on the road to making a living wage.”

The wage increase will be $2 more per hour for workers currently making the minimum wage. This represents an approximately 22% rise in gross income. Long Island and Westchester will rise to $10.50 an hour, while other parts of New York State will rise to $10.00 an hour on December 31, 2016.

Minimum Wage Increase Chart

	NYC (except small business)	NYC businesses with 10 or fewer employees	Nassau, Suffolk & Westchester	Rest of State
Current 12/31/2016 12/31/2017 12/31/2018 12/31/2019 12/31/2020 12/31/2021	$9.00 $11.00 $13.00 $15.00 -- -- --	$9.00 $10.50 $12.00 $13.50 $15.00 -- --	$9.00 $10.00 $11.00 $12.00 $13.00 $14.00 $15.00	$9.00 $9.70 $10.40 $11.10 $11.80 $12.50 State government will determine yearly increases until $15 is reached

Every day, healthcare workers are on the frontlines working to make sure our communities are healthy and strong. The fact that most workers go home to their families and are not able to afford to keep their homes and family healthy and strong is not a foundation we want to keep in place. The minimum wage increase will not only enhance quality care, it will also provide workers the opportunity to take care of their families.

“I feel at ease. We’ve been struggling for a long time. This raise will make things better. After paying bills, I might buy some clothes. The Fight for $15 was worth it because it made homecare workers visible,” said Anna Couch, a homecare worker on Staten Island.

“I will be 65 next month, but I can’t afford to retire. The extra money in my pay check will help a little,” said Prabhouti Khusial, a homecare worker in Far Rockaway.”

"The first thing I will do when I get the raise is start saving money to take my husbands ashes back home to Belize. He died last year, but we were married for more than 30 years,” said Rachael Ashby a homecare worker in the Bronx.

Reports have shown that a higher minimum wage is good for the economy as it puts more money in the pockets of consumers to boost their local communities. As 1199SEIU healthcare workers continue to stand up for good jobs and fair pay, New York State will continue to grow towards having a real living minimum wage.

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1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East is the largest union in New York and the largest healthcare workers union in the nation. They represent over 450,000 healthcare workers in the greater New York City area and over 400,000 total members throughout the East Coast. Their mission is to achieve quality healthcare and good jobs for all.