Issued May 06, 2015
WASHINGTON, D.C.--In response to New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo's decision to set up a wage board to create a new wage floor for fast-food workers in New York, SEIU International President Mary Kay Henry issued the following statement:
"The fast-food cooks and cashiers who started the Fight for $15 movement are showing how ordinary people make change happen when they stick together.
"Governor Cuomo's move to set a dramatically higher standard for how people who work in fast food are paid is a bold step forward. It shows that a $15 wage floor can be a reality. It's an inspiring change not just for working New Yorkers, but for working people across the country.
"More and more Americans and our elected representatives are standing up to say that it's time to stop profitable corporations from paying wages so low that they trap people in poverty.
"By using our strength in numbers, the workers and families of the Fight for $15 movement are sending a message that raising wages to $15 will boost the economy, create more opportunity, and build a more balanced economy."