As inflation continues to hit New Yorkers hard, state lawmakers are exploring ways to increase pay for various workers using the state budget as a potential tool. The proposals could affect a range of professions and also lead to a broad minimum wage increase, which is further linked to inflation in the coming years.
Democratic state Sen. Samra Brouk has highlighted the struggles of mental health care workers who are finding it difficult to make ends meet with the rising cost of living and years of salary changes that have not kept pace. “This is an adjustment to make sure a mom can buy eggs and put gas in her car and pay for child care for her kids,” Brouk said.
Brouk is calling for an 8.5% increase in pay for mental health care workers in New York, which she hopes will be included in the state budget this month. “Eight point five percent is really the baseline of what we need for our mental health workforce to just keep up with inflation,” she explained.
Republican state Sen. Jim Tedisco also supports a pay raise for workers who provide services to people with developmental disabilities.
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