A Little Extra Goes A Long Way

A Little Extra Goes A Long Way

Sandra Cortez starts her 10-hour shift at Metro Star Coffee Shop in Jackson Heights at 6 a.m. Cortez, 22, one of about two million minimum wage workers in New York State earns $11 an hour, working six days a week.  “The key is to be organized and plan out what you’ll...
Been There, Done That

Been There, Done That

Vijay Alimchandani, 56, the manager at La Quinta Inn on the Upper West Side, remembers what it’s like to get by on minimum wage with a family to support. “For us, McDonald’s was a treat,” Alimchandani recalled. “No summer camps. And going out to the movies? Forget...
Hoping To Save For School

Hoping To Save For School

As a cashier at American NY Bagel in Jackson Heights, Queens, Sarah Camano’s hourly wage rose from $9 to $10.50 when the new law took effect at the end of 2016.The 22-year-old also brings home about $100 extra in tips most weeks. While Camano’s work week is kept...
More Study Time?

More Study Time?

Nicole Rodriguez, 19, a fast-food worker at McDonald’s, works 40 hours a week.  She’s also a full-time student at Borough of Manhattan Community College. She says she finds it hard to pay her phone bill, transportation costs, and help her parents out on the $12...