Governor Cuomo announced yesterday that he’ll use state law to impanel a Wage Board to examine the minimum wage in the fast-food industry.

The fast-food cooks and cashiers who started the Fight for $15 movement are showing how ordinary people make change happen when they stick together.

Governor Cuomo’s move to set a dramatically higher standard for how people who work in fast food are paid is a bold step forward. It shows that a $15 wage floor can be a reality. It’s an inspiring change not just for working New Yorkers, but for working people across the country.

More and more Americans and our elected representatives are standing up to say that it’s time to stop profitable corporations from paying wages so low that they trap people in poverty.

By using our strength in numbers, the workers and families of the Fight for $15 movement are sending a message that raising wages to $15 will boost the economy, create more opportunity, and build a more balanced economy.

This blog was originally posted on seiu.org on May 7, 2015. Reprinted with permission.

About the Author: The author’s name is Mary Kay Henry. Mary Kay Henry serves as International President of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), which unites 2 million workers in healthcare, public and property services. Henry has devoted her life to helping North America’s workers form unions and strengthen their voice at work about the quality of the goods and services they provide, and the quality of care they are able to deliver.