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- Referred to rules
- Referred to rules
Full text
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Sponsor's memo
BILL NUMBER:S5999
Title of bill
An act in relation to enacting the New York fair wage act
Purpose or general idea of the bill
This :bill would require chain--stores in New York-State-to pay wages no lower than a defined living wage - $15 without benefits - indexed to the consumer price index -(CPI) annually.
Summary of specific provisions
Section one states the title of the bill as the "New York fair wage act".
Section two provides definitions for "business", "formula retail store", "subcontractors", "employee", "living wage rates" and "benefits".
Section three requires formula retail stores shall provide employees an hourly compensation package with a value of no less than the living wage rate per hour. There provisions of this section may be waived by the written terms of a bona fide collective bargaining agreement.
Section four requires the state publish and make available to large retailers a bulletin announcing the adjusted living wage and benefits for the upcoming year. In addition the state must provide formula retail stores a notice in English and in Spanish to be displayed in the workplace informing employees of the current living wage and benefits rate and their rights under this act. Formula retail stores are also required to retain payroll and benefit records pertaining to employees for a period of four years and shall allow the agency access to such records to monitor compliance.
Section Five states that this act shall take effect immediately.
Justification
In the wake of the passage of the NY State Budget 2013-14 which included an incremental increase in the minimum wage to $9 by 2015 - this legislation would require formula retail stores, commonly referred to as 'chain' stores, to pay their employees a real living wage now.
For the purposes of this legislation, chain stores are defined as "formula retail stores" the definition of which is a "retail sales establishment which, along with eleven or more other retail sales establishments located in the United States, maintains two or more of the following features: a standardized array of merchandise, a standardized facade, a standardized decor and color scheme, a uniform -apparel, standardized signage, a trademark or a servicemark." As such this would include over 120 large scale retailers including; Dunkin Donuts, Target, Subway, Starbucks, Metro PCS, Duane Reade, McDonalds, T-Mobile, GNC, Best Buy and Home Depot (Source: Center for an Urban Future - State of the Chains 2012).
The living wage rate is defined as $15 and is set to increase in proportion to the CPI. In addition, the prorated hourly cost of any benefits that a chain store chooses to provide an employee can be credited toward payment of the living wage. However, the requirement to pay a living wage can be waived by the written terms of a bona fide collective bargaining agreement.
Living wage laws are gaining significant momentum across the country with dozens of cities and municipalities implementing living wage laws this bill would ensure New Yorkers are not left behind.
Prior legislative history
New Bill
Fiscal implications
Minimal fiscal impact.
Effective date
This act shall take effect immediately.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.