Who Will Be There For You?
New York’s nonprofit human services workers provide care for children, seniors, people with disabilities, and families in crisis. But paying them poverty wages puts these vital professions—and families who need their help—at risk. Bring Up Minimum Pay (BUMP) is fighting to change that.
Our Stories
The people behind the care
Meet the dedicated New Yorkers who care for our children, support our elders, and show up every day for people with disabilities—often while struggling to make ends meet themselves.
Catina, Youth Care Advocate
Bronx
Mia, Parent Advocate
Bronx
Sandia, Residence Manager
Brooklyn
We're On A Mission
Our Goal
Bring Up Minimum Pay (BUMP) is an anti-poverty campaign fighting for a simple goal: pay a real living wage to the New Yorkers who care for us in our times of greatest need.
We’re advocating for New York State legislation (S8377A and A9082A) to raise the base pay of 665,000 human service workers to $29 per hour—the bar for true economic security in New York State.
Raising the wages of our lowest-paid care workers would lift 100,000 New Yorkers out of poverty and drive up to $23 billion in new economic activity across the state, while strengthening the essential care all of our families will one day rely upon.
With your support, the BUMP campaign will ensure the same New Yorkers who work so hard every day to help families struggling with poverty aren’t forced to live on poverty wages themselves.
Our Values
Why It Matters
New York depends on human services workers every day—but too many are paid poverty wages. Investing in fair, sustainable pay strengthens families, stabilizes essential services, and helps build a stronger, more equitable New York for all of us.
Guarantee Annual Cost-of-Living Adjustments (COLAs)
One in five care workers lives below the poverty line, and 88% earn less than New York’s cost of living. Caregivers cannot be their best if they are struggling to make ends meet and unable to provide for their own families.
Stability for Families
Low wages have led to high turnover and widespread job vacancies, too often leaving New York’s families without child care or elder care when they need it most. Higher wages attract and retain talented workers who stay and grow in their jobs year after year, ensuring reliable and quality care.
Breaking the Cycle of Poverty
Higher wages allow people to not only pay rent and put food on the table, but also to pay down debt, build savings, and escape the “poverty premium” of high fees and predatory lenders. Just a $1 bump in minimum wage can lead to a 40% decrease in use of payday loans.*
Return on Investment
As wages rise, so do consumer spending and taxable income. BUMP’s proposed increase will result in an estimated $1 billion in new state income and sales taxes for New York, and up to $23 billion in new economic activity at businesses all across the state.
Justice and Equity
Nearly 90 percent of New York’s human services workers are women and three quarters are people of color. Raising pay directly combats gender and racial pay inequity.
* Chicago Federal Reserve
Join Us In Fighting For Equity
With your support, the BUMP campaign will ensure the same New Yorkers who work so hard every day to help families struggling with poverty aren’t forced to live on poverty wages themselves.
Data and research sourced from CUNY Institute for Local & State Governance’s Regional Human Services Labor Market Analysis in New York State, unless otherwise noted.