Assemblyman William Colton (D-Brooklyn) announced the Assembly will take up a series of bills this week promoting women’s equality and economic security for all New Yorkers. The legislation – which continues the Assembly Majority’s comprehensive Families First agenda – increases the minimum wage, expands access to quality, affordable child care and combats discrimination.

Raising the minimum wage

“As more women become the primary breadwinner in their household, it’s time we raise the minimum wage to ensure women have the earning power to provide for their families,” Assemblyman Colton said.

Nearly 60 percent of minimum wage workers in New York State are women, while nearly 40 percent of families with a female head of household in New York live in poverty.^1,2

And the percentage of households with children that have mothers as either the sole or primary source of income has risen substantially in recent decades, now reaching 40 percent.³

In an effort to boost household incomes, the Assembly will pass legislation to increase the state minimum wage to $10.50 per hour beginning Dec. 31, 2016, and to $12.60 per hour on Dec. 31, 2018. The proposal would also create a minimum wage for New York City, Nassau, Suffolk and Westchester counties of $12.50 per hour to begin Dec. 31, 2016, increasing to $15.00 per hour starting Dec. 31, 2018. The state tipped wage would increase to $8.75 per hour – $10.40 per hour for New York City, Nassau, Suffolk and Westchester counties – beginning Dec. 31, 2016. It would then increase again to $10.50 per hour – $12.50 per hour for New York City, Nassau, Suffolk and Westchester counties – on Dec. 31, 2018. Further, the state minimum wage and tipped wage would be indexed to the rate of inflation beginning in 2019 (A.7257).

“In one of the wealthiest countries in the world, those who work full time should never have to live in poverty,” Assemblyman Colton said. “An inadequate minimum wage leaves far too many New Yorkers – many of them women and the heads of households – struggling to make ends meet. Now is the time to raise the minimum wage, because when women succeed, we all succeed.”

Fighting discrimination

“New York State is a progressive leader committed to breaking down barriers,” Assemblyman Colton said. “When it comes to women’s rights, we still have work to do. No one should ever be discriminated against on the basis of gender.”

Currently, New York State law only prohibits sexual harassment in workplaces with four or more employees. The Assembly’s legislation would protect all employees by banning sexual harassment in every workplace, regardless of the number of employees (A.5360).

Unfortunately, women are also all too often discriminated against based on their family status. The Assembly’s legislation would prohibit employers, employment agencies and other organizations from denying work or promotions to employees simply because they are parents (A.6183). The Assembly Majority does not believe New Yorkers should be punished for choosing to be parents, noted Assemblyman Colton.

The Assembly is also taking up a bill that would require employers to provide reasonable accommodations for pregnant employees (A.4272). Pregnancy can require slight modifications in an employee’s work schedule, responsibilities and physical work environment and every effort should be made to accommodate women during this time.

Further, the Families First agenda includes legislation to allow successful plaintiffs who have been victimized based on their gender to recover attorney fees in employment or credit discrimination cases (A.7189). Currently, plaintiffs can only recover attorney fees at trial for housing discrimination cases, dissuading many women from bringing employment or credit cases, and making it costly if they do. This bill would also authorize the recovery of attorney fees in housing-related credit discrimination cases.

“When women are empowered and treated equally, our families have brighter futures, our communities are stronger and New York State is more prosperous,” Assemblyman Colton said.

Increasing access to affordable child care

“With the cost of child care rising at an alarming rate, many women are forced to quit their jobs to care for their children,” Assemblyman Colton said. “We must work to keep child care affordable so women don’t have to choose between providing financially for their families and caring for their children.”

Child care in New York State averages nearly $15,000 per year.⁴ Two-parent families spend almost 17 percent of their annual income on child care – the second-highest cost in the nation – while single-parent households in New York State spend nearly 50 percent of their yearly income on child care.^5,6 Following the recommendations of the Assembly’s Child Care Work Group, the 2015-16 state budget includes nearly $34 million to improve our child care system and ensure more families have access to the quality, affordable child care they deserve.

Additionally, the Assembly will pass legislation allowing a 12-month work exemption for households receiving public assistance with a child under the age of 1, provided that the commissioner of a social services district is unable to provide all eligible working families with child care assistance (A.1805). Additional legislation would require local social services districts to provide a child care subsidy to eligible parents who work overnight so the child can be cared for during the day if not in school (A.775).

The Assembly is also taking up legislation that would establish child care as a compelling family reason to voluntarily separate from employment, allowing parents to be eligible for unemployment benefits (A.7004). Further, the Assembly’s legislation includes a bill that would require the state Department of Labor to take child care needs into account when considering unemployment work search requirements (A.4780).

“The Assembly Majority understands the struggles that New Yorkers face every day,” Assemblyman Colton said. “We will always fight for the support and protections that we know will make this a better state for all of our families.”

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