652 - Minimum wage.
§ 652. Minimum wage. 1. Statutory. Every employer shall pay to each of its employees for each hour worked a wage of not less than: $4.25 on and after April 1, 1991 $5.15 on and after March 31, 2000, $6.00 on and after January 1, 2005, $6.75 on and after January 1, 2006, $7.15 on and after January 1, 2007, or, if greater, such other wage as may be established by federal law pursuant to 29 U.S.C. section 206 or its successors or such other wage as may be established in accordance with the provisions of this article. 2. Existing wage orders. The minimum wage orders in effect on the effective date of this act shall remain in full force and effect, except as modified in accordance with the provisions of this article. Such minimum wage orders shall be modified by the commissioner to increase all monetary amounts specified therein in the same proportion as the increase in the hourly minimum wage as provided in subdivision one of this section, including the amounts specified in such minimum wage orders as allowances for gratuities, and when furnished by the employer to its employees, for meals, lodging, apparel and other such items, services and facilities. All amounts so modified shall be rounded off to the nearest five cents. The modified orders shall be promulgated by the commissioner without a public hearing, and without reference to a wage board, and shall become effective on the effective date of such increases in the minimum wage except as otherwise provided in this subdivision, notwithstanding any other provision of this article. 3. Non-profitmaking institutions. (a) Application of article. This article shall apply to non-profitmaking institutions. (b) Option available to non-profitmaking institutions. The provisions of any wage order issued under this article shall not apply, however, to any non-profitmaking institution which pays and continues to pay to each of its employees in every occupation a wage, exclusive of allowances, of not less than the minimum wage provided in subdivision one of this section provided that such institution had certified under oath to the commissioner, on or before September first, nineteen hundred sixty, that on or before October first, nineteen hundred sixty it would pay and thereafter intended to pay such wage to each of its employees in every occupation and provided further that all the provisions of this article have not become applicable to such institution by operation of paragraph (c) of this subdivision. If such institution was not organized or did not hire any employees as defined in subdivision five of section six hundred fifty-one of this chapter before September first, nineteen hundred sixty, such provisions shall not apply so long as, commencing six months after it was organized, or first employed such employees it paid and continues to pay such wage to each of its employees in every occupation, provided that such institution certified under oath within six months after it was organized or first employed such employees that it would pay and thereafter intended to pay such wage to each of its employees in every occupation and provided further that all the provisions of this article have not become applicable to such institution by operation of paragraph (c) of this subdivision. (c) Termination of option. All the provisions of this article, including all of the provisions of any wage order issued thereunder which, but for the operation of paragraph (b) of this subdivision, would apply to any non-profitmaking institution, shall become fully applicable to such institution sixty days after such institution files a notice with the commissioner requesting that the provisions of such wage order apply to it, or immediately upon the issuance of an order by thecommissioner finding that such institution has failed to pay the wages provided in paragraph (b) of this subdivision, but in no event shall any such order discharge the obligation of such institution to pay the wages provided by paragraph (b) of this subdivision for any period prior to the issuance of such order. 4. Notwithstanding subdivisions one and two of this section, the wage for an employee who is a food service worker receiving tips shall be a cash wage of at least three dollars and thirty cents per hour on or after March thirty-first, two thousand; three dollars and eighty-five cents on or after January first, two thousand five; at least four dollars and thirty-five cents on or after January first, two thousand six; and at least four dollars and sixty cents on or after January first, two thousand seven, provided that the tips of such an employee, when added to such cash wage, are equal to or exceed the minimum wage in effect pursuant to subdivision one of this section and provided further that no other cash wage is established pursuant to section six hundred fifty-three of this article. In the event the cash wage payable under the Fair Labor Standards Act (29 United States Code Sec. 203 (m), as amended), is increased after enactment of this subdivision, the cash wage payable under this subdivision shall automatically be increased by the proportionate increase in the cash wage payable under such federal law, and will be immediately enforceable as the cash wage payable to food service workers under this article. 5. Notwithstanding subdivisions one and two of this section, meal and lodging allowances for a food service worker receiving a cash wage amounting to three dollars and thirty cents per hour on or after March thirty-first, two thousand; three dollars and eighty-five cents on or after January first, two thousand five; four dollars and thirty-five cents on or after January first, two thousand six; and four dollars and sixty cents on or after January first, two thousand seven, shall not increase more than two-thirds of the increase required by subdivision two of this section as applied to state wage orders in effect pursuant to subdivision one of this section.