News Release -- Statement from Mayor Lovely A. Warren Regarding University of Rochester Adoption of Living Wage

City of Rochester

News Release

(Wednesday, Feb.17, 2021)  – I applaud and commend University of Rochester President Sarah Mangelsdorf and her team on their powerful decision to provide all University employees a Living Wage by setting a minimum wage of $15 an hour. I also want to thank the members of the Rochester-Monroe Anti-Poverty Initiative, SEIU 1199 and our other partners in labor for their relentless support for the region’s hourly wage employees with calls to action such as this. As the daughter of a Home Health Aide, and granddaughter of a proud woman who cleaned rooms at Strong Memorial Hospital, I drafted an Equity and Recovery Agenda that puts a priority on helping essential workers who often live paycheck-to-paycheck. Today’s announcement by UR is a cause for celebration, but I also hope it brings momentum to our collective effort to provide every worker a Living Wage that reflects the value of their labor, especially the call for long-overdue State legislation to set a $15 minimum wage for health-service employees.

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News Media: For more information, contact Communications Director Justin Roj at Justin.Roj@cityofrochester.gov.