Assemblyman Camara calls on Senate to Do the Right Thing- on Minimum Wage
May 16, 2012
Camara says:
“Even with proposed increase its not enough but a good step in the right direction”
Albany, NY- Today the Assembly is set to pass bill A.9148, which raises the statutory minimum wage from $7.25 to $8.50 per hour on and after January 1, 2013 and provides that on each January 1st thereafter, the rate shall be indexed to inflation. Assemblyman Karim Camara (D-Brooklyn) Chair of the New York State Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic and Asian Legislative Caucus is optimistic about what this modest increase can mean for families struggling to make it in this economy. Today he issues the following statement:
“Raising minimum wage is imperative to the financial survival of families in this State; even at the proposed increased level it’s far from enough to sustain average families in New York. Currently, an employee earns roughly $1,160 per month before taxes if they work 40 hours per week, with the proposed increase that jumps to $1,360 per month, a whopping $200 increase. This is a reasonable first step, one that I applaud, but at the same time recognizing that we have a long way to go in fulfilling our non-negotiable obligation to working families, the same families that drive that economy of this State.
“This increase is especially important for women and people of color in this state, who tend to more readily occupy minimum wage jobs. Research shows that the of the workers who would directly benefit, 56 percent are women; nearly half are Black and Hispanic. And contrary to critics, this is not a job killer but a vital tool to jump start a stagnant economy. Again, I applaud Speaker Silver and Assemblyman Keith Wright, the bill’s sponsor, for their tireless leadership and advocacy of behalf of New Yorkers.”
“Even with proposed increase its not enough but a good step in the right direction”