ALBANY, NY– #15andFunding, a coalition of more than 80 organizations representing human
services and Medicaid-funded nonprofit workers across New York, today gathered at the
State Capitol to voice their support for establishing a $15
minimum wage for all New Yorkers, with necessary funding to support the
nonprofit workforce. The coalition also called for opponents to stop
using nonprofits as scapegoats for maintaining the
status quo of low wages.
These organizations deliver essential services on
behalf of government, but despite the clear importance of the function
they provide, the members of this workforce increasingly find themselves
in the very same position as their clients—
in need of social service assistance to provide for their families.
Throughout New York State, this sector employs nearly 870,000 workers,
and nearly half—420,000—would benefit from an increase in the minimum
wage to $15 per hour. Nonprofits believe in a fair
minimum wage both for their own workers, and for the communities they
serve.
The coalition applauded the New York Assembly’s
budget proposal, which includes $200 million to fund this wage increase
for nonprofit organizations operating under state contracts and Medicaid
reimbursements, in order to ensure that they
can recruit and retain quality staff and avoid a decline in service
levels and quality.
"As the minimum wage battle continues to heat up in
the halls of Albany, the non-profit community wants to make it clear
that we support an increase in wages for both the people we serve and
our staffs. We don't want anyone to suggest that
NYS shouldn't raise the wage because of the non-profit sector.
Nonprofit workers provide a vast range of essential public services
caring for people who rely on their skills, commitment and compassion.
These workers, their families, and the people they serve
deserve a $15 minimum wage, and expect the state to provide the funding
to ensure a fair day’s pay for a fair day’s work.” -Ron Deutsch, Executive Director, Fiscal Policy Institute
“These organizations are critical to building strong communities and helping individuals reach their full human potential, but
their work is hindered by the lack of a living wage.
We support the minimum wage increase for both our workers and for the communities we serve.” -Michelle Jackson, Associate Director and General Counsel, Human Services Council
“Despite a growing statewide coalition of human
services and Medicaid-funded nonprofits actively supporting a minimum
wage increase to $15 for all New Yorkers, opponents of the increased
wage are shamefully using the nonprofit sector to
justify a continuation of stagnant wages. Raising the minimum wage to
$15 per hour with funding for the increased wage for workers employed by
nonprofits performing government functions are both desired goals of
the nonprofit human services and Medicaid-funded
services sector. These nonprofit workers are an extension of the New
York State government’s workforce, and they perform critical roles in
our economy and in the communities they serve.” -Jennifer Jones Austin, Executive Director and CEO, Federation of
Protestant Welfare Agencies
"Many workers in the not-for-profit sector provide
services that the State is obligated under law to provide but at lower
cost. I am a strong supporter of raising the minimum wage. Our economy
needs it. But, at the same time, we need
to make sure that the State increases its reimbursement rates so these
not-for-profits can continue to operate and provide much needed human
services." –
New York State Assemblyman Phil Steck
“Human services and direct care providers see the
impact of low wages every day in their work. In many cases, those
working to alleviate the negative consequences of poverty, are
themselves living paycheck to paycheck or relying on public
assistance to meet their basic needs. Low wages can result in
homelessness, food insecurity, and a variety of other challenges both
for workers in the sector and for the clients they serve. Raising and
funding the minimum wage greatly assists nonprofits’ ability
to continue their important front-line work within communities across
the state.” –
New York State Assemblyman Hevesi
"It’s ridiculous that we might fail to raise the
minimum wage because we refuse to increase funding for vital nonprofits –
we can and must do both. The tireless workers in New York’s nonprofit
sector serve some of our most vulnerable neighbors,
and they deserve a living wage. Pitting those who need services against
workers who provide those services is a false choice. New York’s
working families need a $15 minimum wage, and New York’s social health
and human service providers need additional government
support to continue to perform their critical functions." –New York State Senator Liz Krueger
“With
state funding to underwrite it, the adoption of a minimum wage of $15
for employees of nonprofits under contract with the state, as well as
for Medicaid workers whose salaries are overwhelmingly
paid for by the state, is absolutely essential. These workers are
performing invaluable, essential human services in each of our
communities. So we must ensure that they can afford to continue doing so
— by being compensated with a livable minimum wage.” –New
York State Assemblyman Luis Sepúlveda
Source: The Federation of Protestant Welfare Agencies
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