Irvington-based Eileen Fisher Inc. has joined with other New York businesses to support increasing the state’s minimum wage to $9 an hour.
Eileen Fisher, a women”™s clothing retailer, joined Costco Wholesale Corp., the Greater New York Chamber of Commerce, ABC Carpet & Home, Hudson Valley ReThink Local and approximately 400 other businesses in issuing a statement supporting the increase.
“Today”™s minimum wage means poverty for working families and weakens the consumer demand at the heart of our economy,” the statement said. “A higher minimum wage makes good business sense. It puts money in the hands of New Yorkers who will put it right back into local businesses, buying needed goods and services.”
The state Assembly recently approved the increase, and lawmakers in the Senate are now negotiating an increase to the state’s current minimum wage of $7.25 an hour.
The Senate’s majority coalition of Republicans and an independent faction of Democrats have proposed increasing the minimum wage this year, and gradually increasing it over the next three years, though they have not specified by how much. Republicans are looking for $2 billion in tax breaks for businesses to offset an increase.
Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo has proposed increasing minimum wage to $8.75 without automatic increases. Twelve states have a higher minimum wage than New York.
The push for a minimum wage increase follows President Barack Obama”™s call for Congress to increase the federal minimum wage from $7.25 an hour to $9 an hour.
