Bergen Hospital Employees To Reap Benefit Of $15 Minimum Wage

PARAMUS, NJ — Bergen County hospital workers are getting a pay increase after New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy raised the minimum wage to $15 an hour.

Murphy signed legislation into law Monday that raises the minimum wage.

Murphy and Bergen County Executive James Tedesco touted the new hourly rate at New Bridge Medical Center Tuesday.

"Paying workers a fair living wage makes a real difference in their lives," Tedesco said in a statement. “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.”

New Bridge Medical Center President and CEO Deborah Visconi agreed. She said it was a "priority" for the hospital to provide a $15 minimum wage for workers this year.

Murphy signed The legislation will increase to $10 an hour on July 1. By Jan. 1, 2020, the statewide minimum wage would increase to $11-an-hour, and then would increase by $1-an-hour every Jan. 1 until it reaches $15 an hour on January 1, 2024.

For seasonal workers and employees at small businesses of five or fewer workers, the base minimum wage would reach $15 an hour by Jan. 1, 2026. By Jan. 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 other New Jersey workers.

For agricultural workers, the base minimum wage would increase to $12.5 an hour by Jan. 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 an hour by Jan. 1, 2027, as specified in the bill.

Email: daniel.hubbard@patch.com

Photo: New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)