NY Panel Urges $15 Minimum Wage for Fast Food Workers

A panel appointed by New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo recommended that the minimum wage for fast-food workers in the state be raised to $15 per hour, capping a movement by labor activists that started in New York City four years ago. The panel’s recommendations would have the pay rise first in NYC, and then spread throughout the state. A $15 minimum wage would represent a more than 70 percent raise for NY fast-food employees, who now earn $8.75 per hour. With the decision, New York will join cities like Seattle, San Francisco, and Los Angeles in setting a new minimum wage standard.