NYS Restaurant Association Urges Cuomo Not to Raise Wages for Five Years

On Friday, the minimum wage for tipped workers in New York will jump from $5 to $7.50 per hour, and New York's overall minimum wage will increase from $8.75 to $9. This change is one of many reasons why some restaurateurs are switching to a no-tipping system. A day before this change-over, hospitality trade group the New York State Restaurant Association has published a letter urging Cuomo not to hike the tipped minimum wage for another five years. NYS Restaurant Association President Melissa Fleischut explains: "This increase has already forced restaurants to close, business owners to cut hours and lay people off, and made owners look to incorporate more tablets at tables. Any further increase will just exacerbate these problems." The Daily News notes that 100 restaurateurs co-signed the letter. Cuomo's spokesperson Rich Azzopardi said the governor would look at the letter, but he added that Cuomo "believes those who work full-time should not be condemned to a life of poverty and is proud of the steps we've taken to ensure a fair day's pay for a fair day's work."

Cuomo is currently trying to raise the wage for fast food workers to $15 per hour by 2018. Earlier this year, the National Restaurant Association filed a petition against the fast food worker wage plan on the grounds that it was "blatant executive overreach," but a state board rejected the appeal.