News

March 22, 2013
Southern Tier (WENY) - As we reported early this week, New York's budget agreement includes a minimum age increase. Now at $7.25 an hour, minimum wage would increase to $8 an hour in 2014, $8.75 in 2015, and $9 by the end of 2015. This issue is a double edged sword. On the one hand you have Businesses that will struggle if they have to pay employees more, but on the other side are the employees that say the increase is needed.
     Kaitlyn Reilly is a CCC student making minimum wage. She's getting married this summer, and says right now, it's hard to survive.
     “With all of that and payments being so high now a days I don't know how I'm going to be able to juggle everything,” says Reilly.  
      For businesses like Poppleton Pastries on Market Street in Corning, owner Dodie Poppleton says any increase in the minimum wage gets passed down to the customer.
     “It's part of your bottom line and when minimum wage is going up you have to reflect that with your prices and it will go back to the customer unfortunately,” says Poppelton.
      Only time will tell if the decision to increase wages across the state will be good or bad, Dodie just hopes her customers will understand.  
       “That people understand and they understand the quality of the product and people need to make a living.”
     Lawmakers in the Assembly and Senate still need to approve Governor Cuomo's Budget. Leaders are in Albany to vote this weekend.