Sen. Ortt's Bill Ties Possible Fast-Food Pay Increase to Human Services Pay

Senator Ortt weighs in on the possible minimum wage increase for fast-food workers during an interview with Capital NY. Sen. Ortt outlines his bill that would force reimbursement increases to human services workers in nonprofits should the governor decide to increase pay of fast-food workers. Read the full article below:

Bill would tie human services pay to wage board decision

By Will Brunelle

3:28 p.m. | Jun. 9, 2015

ALBANY—The state would be forced to increase its reimbursements to nonprofits that employ human services workers if Governor Andrew Cuomo’s wage board orders an increase in the minimum wage for fast-food workers, under legislation introduced Tuesday by a Republican state senator.

Senator Robert Ortt told Capital the potential wage increase for fast food workers could lead to a mass exile of workers from non-for-profit organizations. They would "go work at McDonald's," Ortt said, rather than remain in their current jobs. That would endanger the health and safety of the disabled and other vulnerable communities served by not-for-profit service organizations, he said. 

In his memo accompanying the bill, Ortt wrote that fast-food companies and human services nonprofits “compete for the same pool of labor.”

“A targeted minimum wage boost for fast food workers, or any other industry with relatively low paid employees, will give the those industries an insurmountable competitive advantage in attracting employees,” Ortt wrote.

Ortt, who represents a portion of western New York, said the state labor department should raise the pay of human services workers first rather than target a private industry.

Cuomo convened the wage board in May, and has not stated a specific wage he’d like to see paid to fast food workers. His supporters include major unions, including the AFL-CIO, and most recently, feminist icon Gloria Steinem.

Ortt’s bill will be sent to the Senate’s labor committee. It has not been introduced in the Assembly.