Albany, N.Y., May 3, 2012 / 23:24 pm
The Catholic bishops of New York State have called for a “modest increase” in the state’s minimum wage, saying it will help struggling adults that a poor economy has forced into low-paying jobs.
“We don’t pretend to be economists, but we are pastors, and we do oversee the largest nongovernmental network of health, education and charitable ministries in the state,” they said May 3.
“What we can tell you from first-hand experience is that it is becoming increasingly difficult for the working poor of our state to make ends meet.”
The New York minimum wage is $7.25 per hour. New York Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, a Democrat from Manhattan, is proposing to raise the minimum wage to $8.50.