Governor Phil Murphy

Twitter Facebook YouTube Instagram Snapchat

Governor Murphy Touts $15 Minimum Wage with Business Leaders, Local Officials

02/5/2019

PARAMUS – On Tuesday, Governor Murphy joined with Bergen County Executive Jim Tedesco, who established a $15 minimum wage for County employees in 2017, and New Bridge Medical Center CEO Deborah Visconi, who announced an increase to $15 per hour for hospital employees, to tout yesterday’s signing of a new state law that puts New Jersey’s minimum wage on a path to $15 an hour.

“This legislation is a major milestone in the fight for a stronger and fairer New Jersey,” said Governor Murphy. “Signing the $15 minimum wage into law has been one of my proudest moments as Governor so far, and I am thrilled to stand beside County Executive Tedesco and New Bridge CEO Deborah Visconi, both of whom share our Administration’s vision for a stronger and fairer New Jersey economy built on the principle that no one who works full-time should earn poverty-level wages.”

“Paying workers a fair living wage makes a real difference in their lives,” said Bergen County Executive Jim Tedesco. “It was the right thing to do in 2017 for our county workers, and it is the right thing to do today for workers at Bergen New Bridge Medical Center and working people throughout New Jersey.”

“We applaud the Governor for his outstanding efforts to bring this bill to life,” said Bergen New Bridge Medical Center President and CEO Deborah Visconi. “Bergen New Bridge Medical Center is committed to ensuring that every worker at our hospital is making $15 per hour this year.  This has been a priority focus for us, fully supported by the County Executive.”

Under the law, the base minimum wage for New Jersey workers will increase to $10/hour on July 1, 2019. By January 1, 2020, the statewide minimum wage will increase to $11/hour, and then will increase by $1/hour every January 1st until it reaches $15/hour on January 1, 2024, impacting over one million New Jersey workers. 

For seasonal workers and employees at small businesses of five workers or less, the base minimum wage will reach $15/hour by January 1, 2026. By January 1, 2028, workers in these groups will receive the minimum wage inclusive of inflation adjustments that take place from 2024 to 2028, equalizing the minimum wage with the main cohort of New Jersey workers.

For agricultural workers, the base minimum wage will increase to $12.50/hour by January 1, 2024. No later than March 31, 2024, the New Jersey Labor Commissioner and Secretary of Agriculture will jointly decide whether to recommend that the minimum wage for agricultural workers increase to $15/hour by January 1, 2027, as specified in the bill. If they cannot come to an agreement, a third member, appointed by the Governor with the advice and consent of the Senate, will break the tie. If there is a recommendation to disapprove of the scheduled increases or suggest an alternative pathway, the Legislature will have the ability to implement that recommendation by passage of a concurrent resolution.