Last updated on June 16th, 2015 at 11:14 am
Groups representing New York’s restaurant and business communities, which employ hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers across the state, have launched the “Save NY Restaurants” Coalition.
The coalition is contesting New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s decision to establish a self-appointed wage board that targets fast food restaurants. Coalition members include the New York State Restaurant Association, New York Chapter of the National Federation of Independent Business, International Franchise Association and the National Restaurant Association.
“This wage board process has done nothing but marginalize and demonize business owners across the state. Many are intimidated and fear voicing their legitimate concerns to the unelected group that will set regulations for their businesses. Today the business community collectively asks Gov. Cuomo to recognize that fear and intimidation is not the way to govern. This decision should be fairly debated and rest in the hands of those that have been democratically chosen to lead,” said Melissa Fleischut, president and CEO of the New York State Restaurant Association.
“Gov. Cuomo’s decision to circumvent the representatives elected by the people of New York and target hard working restaurant owners and operators is arbitrary and discriminatory. The fact that there is no representation from the very industry the governor is targeting shows that this board has no interest in keeping New York’s restaurants open for business. The governor’s actions are an assault to the hard working men and women that provide jobs and opportunity in every community from Brooklyn to Buffalo; businesses that may be forced to close because of irresponsible actions,” said Dawn Sweeney, president and CEO of the National Restaurant Association.
New research by the Employment Policies Institute of nearly 1,000 New York fast food operators found that nearly 50 percent said they’d be forced to “reduce employees’ hours or staffing levels” due to drastic wage increases, while another 22 percent said they would be forced to close their doors altogether. Seventy percent said they likely would have to raise their prices to meet the proposed wage requirements, which would hurt their businesses.
The Coalition has launched the website KeepNYOpen.com to highlight the impact a drastic wage increase will have to New York’s restaurants. Additionally, “Save NY Restaurants” has launched a digital ad campaign that launched June 15.
