New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s proposal to raise minimum wage by $1.50 – from $7.25 an hour to $8.75 an hour – has sparked reactions from workers in the city of Syracuse.

During the past five years, the minimum wage in New York state has only increased by 10 cents, according to the New York State Assembly website.

“Increasing the minimum wage would benefit over 1 million working New Yorkers,” said Sheldon Silver, New York State Assembly speaker, in a statement on the Assembly’s website. “We should be leading the way on this front and living up to our reputation as a state that takes care of our own.”

There are 18 states that have minimum wages higher than New York’s wages, according to Silver’s statement.

“We’re falling behind,” Silver said in the statement. “The neighboring states of Massachusetts, Connecticut and Vermont — as well as Washington, D.C., and 15 other states across the country — have a higher minimum wage than New York.”

Art Delaney, owner of Delaney Moving and Storage in Syracuse, said he supports a raise in minimum wage. He added that he thinks increased wages are long overdue.

Delaney said the increase would not directly affect his business because his employees are already paid more than minimum wage, but he said he knows the increase might influence his employees to ask for raised wages as well.

“I think raised wages is a good thing, as long as everyone is helping contribute by paying taxes and boosting the economy,” Delaney said.

Increased minimum wage would help boost the economy because consumer spending comprises 70 percent of the gross domestic product, according to the Assembly’s website. Increased wages would recirculate money through the economy because working families spend higher wages at local businesses.

Every $1 in wage increase for minimum-wage workers results in $3,500 in new consumer spending by that household during the next year, according to the website.

Christie Rainaldi, an employee at Bleu Monkey Cafe on Marshall Street, said she also supports the pay increase.

“I think it’s the right thing to do,” she said.

Rainaldi said the pay raise would not significantly affect her personal wages because she currently makes $8 an hour as a hostess at the restaurant, but she thinks a raise is overdue for New York state.

However, some Syracuse business owners think the pay raise could hurt their businesses.

Randy Beach, owner of Ale ‘n’ Angus Pub in downtown Syracuse, said it would be more beneficial for businesses if minimum wage increases occurred gradually through time.

“It would make more sense to raise the minimum wage in small increments rather than jump to a $1.50 increase and leave businesses to scramble to find a means to pay out more,” Beach said.

Jini Cerio, owner of Markowitz Flowers in downtown Syracuse, agrees that a $1.50 increase is a lot to take on at one time.

“It’s putting a lot on individual businesses,” Cerio said. “It might not seem like a lot of money, but it adds up for businesses that have dozens of employees.”

Published on February 5, 2013 at 11:36 pm

Contact Alexandra: adhitzle@syr.edu | @LexieHitzler