By 2021, all New York State fast food employees will make $15 an hour


New York's Fast Food Wage Board announced Wednesday that it is recommending fast food chains with 30 or more stores nationwide increase employee wages to $15 an hour.
New York City workers will see their wages increase to $15 an hour by December 2018, and those living in other parts of the state will reach $15 by July 2021. Fight for $15 activists have been working on raising the minimum wage for more than a year, and members like Jorel Ware are thrilled by the victory. "This is a historical moment," Ware, a McDonald's employee, told The Guardian. "It's wonderful. I get to live on my own again. I am telling you it's a wonderful thing. When I started the fight, I just wanted something better for myself. The Fight for $15 has showed me what's possible when people stick and work together."
Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) said he believes this will start a trend across the country, and soon other states will adopt similar standards. He also said the recommendations do not require legislative approval, and after a 15-day period for comments, the New York labor commissioner can change the recommendations before submitting them to become law.
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Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
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