By PAOLO CREDMIDIS
As fast food workers got set for a nationwide strike for higher wages on Thursday, a New York city Council Committee passed a resolution Tuesday calling on Governor Cuomo and the State Legislature to allow municipalities to fix their own minimum wages.
The City Council Committee on Civil Service and Labor approved the resolution with an “aye” vote from all five members.
Councilman Daneek Miller remarked on the high cost of living in New York City.
“We need to raise wages for workers in New York City,” the Queens councilman said. “While other cities may have lower costs of living, we have some of the highest cost of living in the country. Our wage floor should not be our wage ceiling.”
The threatened strike had no influence on the council, insisted Miller
“ We’re ahead of the curve when it comes to worker justice,” added Miller.
The measure however was largely symbolic since the bill has not advanced in either the State assembly or State Senate. The bill was backed by Assembly speaker Sheldon Silver, and Senate Democratic leader Andrea Stewart Cousins.
The resolution comes months after councilmembers rallied outside City hHll and Albany demanding a hike in the city’s minimum wage.
Other cities have passed legislation to increase the minimum wage. San Francisco, for example., tied the minimum wage to the inflation index, while Seattle was set to increase its minimum wage to 15$ dollars in the next year.
Fast food workers in 150 American cities threatened to strike in what was termed the largest walkout of fast food workers in history.
The organization, Fast food Forward, declined comment on the council resolution assembly bill.
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