The Justice

by:

Will Be Served! Campaign

April 2, 2013

Sponsored

Chinese Staff & Workers Assn. National Mobilization Against Sweatshops 318 Restaurant Workers Union

The Honorable Andrew M. Cuomo Governor of New York State 633 Third Ave. New York, NY 10017 Dear Honorable Governor Cuomo: The minimum-wage bill that you are signing into law is a sham. It will enrich employers and corporations to the detriment of all working people. New Yorkers deserve a real wage raise, one that improves conditions for all workers. The bill is too little, too late: Raising the minimum wage to only $9 over 3 years is not enough for anyone to survive on. New Yorks minimum wage would be over $10.70 if it had kept up with the cost of living since 1970. The bill is discriminatory against tipped workers: This bill does not include a provision to raise the minimum wage for tipped workers. It directs that decision to a Wage Board. This excludes the hundreds of thousands of tipped workers who are predominately women and people of color. Due to increases in the cost of living, going without a raise in reality means a pay cut. Separate is never equal. The bill subsidizes Corporations to hire young workers, encouraging them to replace those who are currently employed. Businesses will receive a refundable tax credit for hiring youth aged 16-19. This encourages businesses to lower the wages of especially older workers or replace them with teenagers. It is projected to cost the public hundreds of millions of dollars every year. Furthermore, the bill does not hold corporations such as Dominos Pizza, McDonalds, etc. accountable and does not put resources into enforcing the labor law. Many workers receive less than minimum wage and work long hours without overtime pay, but when they come forward, it often takes years for the Labor Department to investigate the cases. This lack of enforcement encourages employers and corporations to violate the labor law. The Department of Labor desperately needs additional resources to protect low-wage workers from wage theft and to hold corporations accountable for labor-law violations. We hold you accountable for this law that will bring conditions down for all working people. We call on you to address the following concerns:

The Justice
by:

Will Be Served! Campaign

Sponsored

Chinese Staff & Workers Assn. National Mobilization Against Sweatshops 318 Restaurant Workers Union

1.

The minimum wage should be increased to be at least $10/hr, indexed to inflation.

2. Tipped workers should not be treated as second-class citizen. Tipped workers should receive a minimum-wage increase along with all other workers. 3. Put resources into enforcement and strengthen the labor law, instead of giving millions to corporations in subsidies to hire youth to replace workers currently employed. We demand a real minimum-wage for all workersnot second-class treatment, and not corporate welfare. New York State should be a leading example for the United States standards, not a backward example.

Sincerely, Sarah Ahn On behalf of the Justice Will Be Served Campaign (212) 358-0295 Carlos Rodriguez Herrera

The Justice
by:

Will Be Served! Campaign

Sponsored

Chinese Staff & Workers Assn. National Mobilization Against Sweatshops 318 Restaurant Workers Union

Justice Will Be Served! Campaign (JWBS) is a worker-led campaign that organizes nail salon, deli, car service, restaurant and other service workers. We unite workers from diverse ethnic communities throughout the tri-state area. We fight to end sweatshop conditions like long hours, tip-stealing and retaliation by employers. We call on all service workers to join the movement to end exploitation and win equal rights for all workers. For more information contact JWBS, c/o NMASS Workers Center at 212-358-0295 or email JWBScampaign@gmail.com.