State lawmakers to join industry representatives, local restaurant owners to oppose elimination of wage tip credit, call on Governor Cuomo to hold Southern Tier hearing

Corning, N.Y., April 11—State Senator Tom O’Mara (R,C,I-Big Flats), Assemblyman Phil Palmesano (R,C,I-Corning) and Assemblyman Chris Friend (R,C,I-Big Flats) will join statewide representatives of the restaurant industry and area restaurant owners for a news conference on Thursday, April 12 in Corning.

Thursday’s event is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. in the Gaffer District Conference Room (114 Pine Street, Second Floor) in Corning.  The media is invited to attend. 

The area legislators will be joined by representatives of the New York State Restaurant Association, Empire State Restaurant & Tavern Association, and area restaurant owners.

The group will oppose Governor Andrew Cuomo’s call to possibly eliminate the minimum wage tip credit in New York State, and call on Cuomo to hold one of the state Labor Department’s upcoming public hearings on the issue in the Southern Tier.

In his State of the State message in January, Cuomo announced that the state Labor Department would hold hearings in 2018 to “evaluate the possibility of ending minimum wage tip credits in New York State.”  The hearings soliciting input from employees, businesses and others begin on April 20 on Long Island and will continue until late June with additional hearings scheduled for Watertown, Syracuse, Buffalo, Albany and New York City.  The Syracuse hearing is scheduled for Monday, April 30, beginning at 10:00 a.m. at the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry.  On Tuesday, May 8, a hearing will be held at the SUNY Erie City Campus beginning at 10 a.m. 

Anyone interested in attending and/or speaking at any of the Labor Department hearings can find more information and pre-register at on the department’s website HERE.