Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - New York Governor Kathy Hochul made a stop at Buffalo Laborers Training Center in Buffalo on Friday to talk the future of the minimum wage in the State of New York following state budget approval.
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"We all know what inflation did," Hochul said to supporters gathered. "Even if you thought you're getting in a better place with your own wages going up, inflation pushed them right down. Your purchasing power was crushed. After the wage goes fully into effect, in 2027, from that day forward, it'll be indexed to inflation. So when prices go up, your wages will go up. That's what we accomplished here. That'll help 900,000 New Yorkers get a pay increase. I'm really, really proud of that."
The minimum wage, starting in the year 2024, will increase to $16 in New York City and the counties of Nassau, Suffolk and Westchester. In all other part of the state, the minimum wage will be $15 an hour. However in 2025 and 2026, the minimum wage will increase by an additional $0.50 at the start of every year, after which the State's minimum wage would increase at a rate determined by the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) for the Northeast Region.
Gov. Hochul also highlighted a task force to enforce proper compensation for workers.
"We launched an investigative team in our Department of Labor that is finding out anyone who reports and investigating to make sure that they stop wage theft from taking money out of the pockets of our hard working men and women."
Hochul also discussed addressing affordability in the state's green energy initiatives and making sure laborers get fair contracts as the state makes the transition.
"We're focusing on making sure that we talk about our energy costs, climate resilience and climate change, that we help offset the costs for New Yorkers, because the transition to clean energy is going to be expensive. But it is essential, it is essential, we are not turning backwards. We have to find ways to make it more affordable for people. But the other part is, we made sure that we talked about all of our clean energy initiatives, that we have project labor agreements so labor is at the table and making sure that they get a piece of the new green future here in the state of New York."
You can hear the full announcement made in New York State.