By SINDY NANCLARES AND ANNA DITUCCI-CAPPIELLO
Mayor Bill de Blasio appeared in a Bronx playground on Tuesday to sign an executive order to expand the city’s living wage law to include thousands more workers and boost the hourly wage from $11.90 to $13.13.
The executive order bypassed the City Council and was effective immediately. The increase will apply to employees of companies in buildings that annually receive at least $1 million in city subsidies and do not give benefits. Workers with health insurance get an hourly increase from $10.30 to $11.50.
De Blasio cited the high cost of living in New York City as a justification for the executive order, saying, “Working full time, you’re just at the edge of the poverty line.”
“When it comes to a person who works hard, he shouldn’t have to pick between a gallon of milk and a gallon of gas,” said US Secretary of Labor, Thomas Perez, showing his support for the increased living wage.
The unilateral action by de Blasio came as legislators in Albany have resisted efforts to raise the minimum wage and Governor Cuomo had expressed opposition to localities acting alone as “chaotic” before changing his tune and favoring a statewide minimum wage of $10.10 hourly with provisions for even higher wages in expensive places like New York City.
De Blasio, a nationally recognized foe of income inequality also noted the U.S.Congress’s inaction on raising minimum wages.
“When we don’t see change happening in Congress, we act locally,” de Blasio said. “We’re doing something urgent and that will make changes today.
“When New York leads as Mayor Bill de Blasio is doing, the whole country notices,” added Perez.
The living wage increase was expected to impact some18,000 city workers.
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