Mayor de Blasio on Wednesday quietly rejected an offer from state Senate Republicans that would have boosted wages for the city’s lowest-paid workers in exchange for his support to increase cop and firefighter pensions.
The deal, offered Tuesday as Albany was in last-minute negotiations for this legislative session, would have hiked the minimum wage to $11.50 an hour in New York City.
That’s a far cry from the $15 an hour that de Blasio — who has said raising wages is the most effective way to combat income inequality — has called for, but well above the current $8.75.
In return, Senate leaders wanted the mayor to agree to support a bill that would give newly hired cops and firefighters 75% of their salaries if they retire on disability.
That bill needed a home rule message from the City Council to pass the Senate and Assembly, which de Blasio’s support would almost guarantee.
The mayor opposed the pension bill because he says it is too expensive, and is pushing a competing proposal that would give service members hired after 2009 75% of their salary if they qualify for Social Security disability, and 50% if they don’t.
The mayor’s spokeswoman said Hizzoner had no regrets.
“This was a false choice — a deeply flawed and severely limited minimum-wage bill that never would have passed, in exchange for a fiscally reckless pension bill that would have cost New York City taxpayers $6 billion,” said Karen Hinton. “Both were raw deals for New Yorkers, and the mayor was right to fight for better proposals on each.”
In the end, he got neither.
The session is coming to a close without movement on the minimum wage or any plan to boost pensions for cops and firefighters.
Some workers who make $8.75 were disappointed.
“We work hard and the minimum wage now just can’t support me,” said Karen Catagua, 19, who works at a Checkers fast-food restaurant in lower Manhattan.
Maria Martinez, 28, who makes $10 an hour at Lenny’s sandwich shop, said she’d love a buck-fifty raise.
“Fifteen dollars an hour sounds great, but $11.50 an hour is a good start,” said Martinez, who is from Brooklyn.
Police union leaders — who have been pushing for the pension changes and have a tumultuous relationship with de Blasio — were angry the mayor didn’t take the deal.
“I’m shocked that after months of pushing for a minimum-wage increase that he ... was willing to reject a very fair piece of legislation,” said Ed Mullins, president of the Sergeants Benevolent Association.
But some labor leaders defended the decision, especially since the state’s wage board is currently weighing whether to require all fast-food chains in the state to raise wages to $15.
“There’s a national movement for $15 an hour,” said one leader with the Service Employees International Union. “Why should New York City settle for $11.50?”
http://m.nydailynews.com/news/polit...d-deal-raised-city-min-wage-article-1.2269859
The deal, offered Tuesday as Albany was in last-minute negotiations for this legislative session, would have hiked the minimum wage to $11.50 an hour in New York City.
That’s a far cry from the $15 an hour that de Blasio — who has said raising wages is the most effective way to combat income inequality — has called for, but well above the current $8.75.
In return, Senate leaders wanted the mayor to agree to support a bill that would give newly hired cops and firefighters 75% of their salaries if they retire on disability.
That bill needed a home rule message from the City Council to pass the Senate and Assembly, which de Blasio’s support would almost guarantee.
The mayor opposed the pension bill because he says it is too expensive, and is pushing a competing proposal that would give service members hired after 2009 75% of their salary if they qualify for Social Security disability, and 50% if they don’t.
The mayor’s spokeswoman said Hizzoner had no regrets.
“This was a false choice — a deeply flawed and severely limited minimum-wage bill that never would have passed, in exchange for a fiscally reckless pension bill that would have cost New York City taxpayers $6 billion,” said Karen Hinton. “Both were raw deals for New Yorkers, and the mayor was right to fight for better proposals on each.”
In the end, he got neither.
The session is coming to a close without movement on the minimum wage or any plan to boost pensions for cops and firefighters.
Some workers who make $8.75 were disappointed.
“We work hard and the minimum wage now just can’t support me,” said Karen Catagua, 19, who works at a Checkers fast-food restaurant in lower Manhattan.
Maria Martinez, 28, who makes $10 an hour at Lenny’s sandwich shop, said she’d love a buck-fifty raise.
“Fifteen dollars an hour sounds great, but $11.50 an hour is a good start,” said Martinez, who is from Brooklyn.
Police union leaders — who have been pushing for the pension changes and have a tumultuous relationship with de Blasio — were angry the mayor didn’t take the deal.
“I’m shocked that after months of pushing for a minimum-wage increase that he ... was willing to reject a very fair piece of legislation,” said Ed Mullins, president of the Sergeants Benevolent Association.
But some labor leaders defended the decision, especially since the state’s wage board is currently weighing whether to require all fast-food chains in the state to raise wages to $15.
“There’s a national movement for $15 an hour,” said one leader with the Service Employees International Union. “Why should New York City settle for $11.50?”
http://m.nydailynews.com/news/polit...d-deal-raised-city-min-wage-article-1.2269859
