Andrew Cuomo Proposes to Raise the Minimum Wage to $20 Per Hour in New York City as Mayor
RWDSU, ATU, and UFCW Local 1500 Endorse Cuomo for Mayor at Major Labor Announcement; Unions Represent a Combined 76,000 New Yorkers
New York City needs to be a place where working families can afford to live and thrive and right now that’s out of reach for far too many in what is supposed to be the greatest city in the world. When we say opportunity for all, we mean opportunity for all. We must take action.
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo, candidate for Mayor of New York City, today received the endorsement of the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU), Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU), and United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW) Local 1500, which together represent more than 76,000 members in New York City. The endorsements were announced at a rally attended by 400 union members, including members of the New York City and Vicinity District Council of Carpenters, Hotel & Gaming Trades Council, and 32BJ SEIU which have also endorsed his candidacy for Mayor of New York City.
At the rally, Cuomo announced his proposal to raise the minimum wage to $20 per hour by 2027 for all New York City workers who are currently eligible for the New York State minimum wage. Approximately 800,000 workers in New York City will see their wages increase to $20 per hour as a result of this proposal.
“New York City needs to be a place where working families can afford to live and thrive and right now that’s out of reach for far too many in what is supposed to be the greatest city in the world. When we say opportunity for all, we mean opportunity for all. We must take action,” Governor Cuomo said. “The best way to address affordability is to build new housing and raise wages. As Mayor, I will build upon the successful work we did when I was Governor when we raised the minimum wage to $15 an hour – the highest rate in the United States. We proved the critics wrong who threatened that raising the minimum wage would slow the economy. It did the opposite. Today’s economy has dramatically raised the cost of living in New York City and to give working New Yorkers relief we should raise the minimum wage to $20. It is an aggressive, progressive action that will help hourly workers and stimulate the economy. If you work full time, you should have the opportunity to live a decent life. We believe the best feast has the greatest number of people at the table, sharing in that feast. We know how high the stakes are right now and together we will make New York City an affordable place for all.”
“I’m honored to have the endorsement of the RWDSU, ATU and UFCW, unions that have always fought for hardworking New Yorkers and the expansion of opportunity,” Governor Cuomo continued. “Their support means a great deal because these unions understand what’s at stake in New York City right now—our hardworking men and women are struggling to make ends meet and the government cannot just sit by and do nothing.”
RWDSU released the following statement: “Andrew Cuomo is the clear choice for this moment. He brings both the experience and the proven ability to stand up to Donald Trump on behalf of New Yorkers – and that’s what we need right now. Under Andrew Cuomo’s leadership we became the first state in the nation to enact a $15 minimum wage. He also established paid family leave and proposed statewide scheduling reforms to protect workers and their families. Our union became the first to organize farmworkers thanks to the passage of the Farm Laborers Fair Labor Practices Act signed by then Governor Cuomo. And we also secured marriage equality in our state under his leadership – something we must now fight to protect, along with many other rights we once believed were secured, but are now under threat in Washington. We know Andrew Cuomo is the right choice for this challenging moment, which is why we're proud to endorse him today.”
John Costa, International President of Amalgamated Transit Union, said: “Our members keep this city moving—no matter the crisis. Our school bus members ensure students - the City's most precious cargo - get to and from school safely each day. They deserve a mayor who matches their commitment to the five boroughs. That candidate is Governor Andrew Cuomo. Our members have seen firsthand the decline in public safety and the rising cost of living. That’s why our Union proudly endorses Andrew Cuomo—because he’ll make New York affordable by raising wages and cutting taxes for the middle class, and he’ll end the public safety crisis that has directly impacted ATU members.”
Rob Newell, President of UFCW Local 1500, said: “When the cost of living eclipses the income of working- and middle-class New Yorkers, our members see the pain and frustration firsthand in the faces of the public we serve. No one should have to choose between paying rent or putting food on the table—but hundreds of thousands do, every single day. And unless government steps up, millions more will face that same impossible choice. That’s why we need Andrew Cuomo as our next mayor. As Governor, he consistently put working people first. He’s the proven leader we trust to tackle the affordability crisis, and we look forward to working with him to build a safer, more affordable New York City for all.”
The estimated impact on wages from a $20 minimum wage in New York City would be approximately $4 billion if all 800,000 workers were full-time employees working 2,000 hours per year. However, since half of minimum wage workers work part-time, the estimated impact would be approximately $3 billion.
The minimum wage in New York City under current law would be approximately $17.50 on January 1, 2027. This figure reflects the statutory minimum wage of $17 on January 1, 2026, increased under current law by approximately 3 percent, in line with projected CPI growth.
The proposed $20 minimum wage is approximately the same as the increase in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) in the Northeast since 2016. In other words, if the minimum wage had been indexed for 10 years at the 2.7 percent compound annual growth rate, the minimum wage would be $19.57.
The proposal also calls for a cost-of-living study to be completed by the New York City government by January 1, 2027, which will inform future indexing of the $20 minimum wage.
To best support small business employers during the transition to a $20 minimum wage, Cuomo proposes a Small Business Adjustment Tax Credit to ease the financial pressure on small businesses with 10 or fewer full-time employees. Eligible employers could receive a refundable credit covering up to 30 percent of the incremental wage increase per employee, with the credit amount gradually decreasing each year as businesses adjust. The Small Business Adjustment Tax Credit is modeled after a similar credit that coincided with Governor Cuomo’s successful efforts to raise the minimum wage to $15 in 2016.
At the time, New York became the first state in the nation to have a $15 minimum wage signed into law. It was the culmination of a sustained campaign by the governor that began with him taking executive action to raise the wages of fast food workers, followed by state workers and SUNY and CUNY employees. The governor then ran a statewide campaign with his partners in organized labor pushing for $15 legislation that enlisted the support of mayors across New York state, who raised the minimum wage of their municipal workforces to $15 an hour, ultimately ending with the bill’s passage through a Democratic Assembly and then-Republican-controlled State Senate.
The endorsements by RWDSU, ATU, and UFCW Local 1500 come following the endorsements of the Uniformed Fire Alarm Dispatchers Benevolent Association, Uniformed Firefighters Association, United Fire Officers Association, 1199SEIU, Teamsters Joint Council 16, LIUNA NY, New York State Iron Workers, 32BJ SEIU, the Hotel and Gaming Trades Council, the Uniformed EMTs, Paramedics & Fire Inspectors Local 2507, the New York City Deputy Sheriffs’ Benevolent Association, New York City Coalition of the International Union of the Operating Engineers, the Utility Workers Union of America Local 1-2, Teamsters Local 237, Local 3 IBEW, New York City and Vicinity District Council of Carpenters, and District Council 9 of the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades.
Throughout his career in public service, Governor Cuomo has been a champion for working New Yorkers. He raised wages for millions and protected the right to organize when the Supreme Court tried to break the back of the labor movement. As Governor, Andrew Cuomo increased access to healthcare, enacted the nation's strongest paid family leave program and expanded apprenticeships, vocational training, and workforce development programs. He also advanced the most substantial infrastructure program in a generation, including the Second Avenue Subway, the Moynihan Train Hall and the new Kosciuszko Bridge and the new JFK and LaGuardia Airports—all major projects built with union labor.
In addition to the labor union endorsements, Cuomo has been endorsed by Rep. Ritchie Torres, Rep. Adriano Espaillat, Democratic Organization of Queens County and Chairman Rep. Gregory W. Meeks, former New York State Comptroller Carl McCall, former Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr., New York State Senator Toby Ann Stavisky, New York State Senator Joseph P. Addabbo Jr., New York State Senator James Sanders Jr., New York State Senator Roxanne Persaud, Brooklyn Democratic Chair and Assembly Member Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn, Assembly Member Charles Fall, Assembly Member Eddie Gibbs, Assembly Member Yudelka Tapia, Assembly Member Latrice Walker, Assembly Member Erik Dilan, Assembly Member Jordan Wright, Assembly Member Stacey Pheffer Amato, Assembly Member Sam Berger, Assembly Member Vivian Cook, Assembly Member John Zaccaro, Jr., Assembly Member William Colton, Assembly Member David Weprin, Assembly Member Edward Braunstein, Assembly Member Clyde Vanel, Assembly Member Alicia Hyndman, Assembly Member George Alvarez, Assembly Member Manny De Los Santos, Assembly Member Michael Benedetto, Council Member Lynn Schulman, Council Member Kamillah Hanks, Council Member Farah N. Louis, Council Member Susan Zhuang, Council Member Darlene Mealy, Council Member Selvena Brooks-Powers, Coalition of Community Concerns, 35 District Leaders across the city, former National Director of the Anti-Defamation League Abe Foxman, the Village Reform Democratic Club, Taminent Regular Democratic Club, American Jewish Congress, 27 NYCHA Tenant Association Presidents, over 95 prominent clergy members, and the Italian American Leadership Council.
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