State Dems: Raise minimum wage to $8.50

Assembly Democrats will unveil a proposal Monday to hike the minimum wage in New York from $7.25 to $8.50 per hour, a source familiar with the proposed legislation told Newsday Sunday night.

The raise would become effective Jan. 1, 2013, and the following year would be permanently linked to inflation.

Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo last week said he was open "philosophically" to a wage increase, but he needed to see a specific proposal.

"It's all about the specifics," Cuomo said. "How much? When?"

Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver (D-Manhattan) is expected to roll out his plan at the Capitol Monday afternoon. The proposal also would carry a commensurate wage for workers such as restaurant servers, who typically are paid below minimum wage but earn money in tips.

Silver has said raising the minimum was perhaps the No. 1 priority for Assembly Democrats in the 2012 legislative session.

"The way we see it, basically anyone who works full-time in this country shouldn't be poor," Silver said in an interview with Newsday last week. "Right now, if you work full-time at minimum wage, you're pretty poor. We think we can do better than that."

Republicans who control the state Senate will likely pose the strongest opposition, although they haven't taken a position yet.

"Senate Republicans will continue to promote policies that encourage job growth and make New York a more business-friendly state, just as we did last year partnering with Governor Cuomo," said Scott Reif, a spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos (R-Rockville Centre).

The National Federation of Independent Business, a small-business lobby that often backs Republicans, strongly opposes any hike. In a statement last week, the organization said: "Higher minimum wage laws destroy jobs for the youngest and poorest workers."

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg has come out in favor of raising the wage.

Silver's proposal would match one currently under consideration in New Jersey. Connecticut recently raised its minimum wage to $8.25; Massachusetts to $8 per hour.