Governor Cuomo Announces More Than 100 Faith Leaders Across the State Join the “Fight For Fairness” to Pass Paid Family Leaves & Raise the Minimum Wage in New York

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced that more than 100 faith leaders in communities across the state have joined the “Fight for Fairness,” endorsing his proposal to enact 12 weeks of paid family leave and raise the minimum wage to $15 by 2021 in New York State. The announcement came as the governor visited the Greater Allen A.M.E. Cathedral of New York, the Christian Cultural Center, and the Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem. Together, these proposals would lift millions of working families out of poverty and bring economic justice to New Yorkers statewide.  “This is about fundamental fairness and restoring the promise of hope, opportunity and mobility in the Empire State,” Governor Cuomo said. “It used to be that if you worked full time you could support your family and step away from your job to take care of your loved ones – but that has changed, and it’s not fair and it’s not right. It’s time we lift up the working families of this state and bring decency, dignity and respect back to all New Yorkers. We must pass paid family leave and raise the minimum wage to $15 to ensure every working man and woman has a fair shot at the American Dream.”

The list of faith leaders supporting the Governor’s “Fight for Fairness” includes: New York City Abyssinian Baptist Church -- Reverend Dr. Calvin Butts Bethesda Missionary Baptist Church of Jamaica – Bishop Charles Norris Sr.  Brooklyn Heights Synagogue -- Rabbi Serge A. Lippe  Cathedral Church of Saint John the Divine -- Reverend Canon Julia E. Whitworth Change a Life Ministries -- Pastor Peggy Smalls  Christian Cultural Center -- Reverend A.R. Bernard, Founder, Senior Pastor and CEO  Church of God NYC -- Reverend Antoine Asse  Church of God of Prophecy -- Bishop Earl McKay  Church of the Nazarene -- Reverend Dr. Les Mullings  Clergy United for Community Empowerment -- Reverend James Barnwell Congregation Beit Simchat Torah -- Rabbi Sharon Kleinbaum Congregation Mt. Sinai -- Rabbi Seth Wax  First Baptist Church of East Elmhurst -- Reverend Patrick Young  First Central Baptist Church -- Reverend Demetrius Carolina  Greenpoint Reformed Church -- Reverend Ann Kansfield  Iglesia Un Camino Al Cielo -- Carmen Perez  Jamaica Muslim Center -- Imam Shamsi Ali Multifaith Alliance for Syrian Refugees -- Rabbi Eric J. Greenberg  Mount Neboh Baptist Church -- Reverend Dr. Johnnie Green  Mt. Sinai United Christian Church -- Reverend Victor Brown  New Greater Bethel Ministries -- Pastor John Boyd  New York Board of Rabbis -- Rabbi Joseph Potasnik, Executive Vice President The House of the Lord Churches -- Reverend Herbert Daughtry, National Presiding Minister Project Hospitality -- Reverend Terry Troia  Spanish Missionary Baptist Church -- Pastor Jose Quinones  St. Phillips Baptist Church -- Reverend Tony Baker  Stapleton UAME Church -- Reverend Maggie Howard Temple Sinai of Massapequa -- Rabbi Janise Poticha  The Episcopal Diocese of New York -- Bishop Andrew Dietsche  The Greater Allen A.M.E. Cathedral of New York -- Reverend Floyd Flake  Third Day Missions, Inc. -- Reverend Daniel Delgado Trinity Lutheran Church -- Reverend Sam Cruz Union Grove Missionary Baptist Church -- Reverend Frederick Crawford Long Island Bethel A.M.E. Church of Copiague -- Pastor Keith Hayward  Calvary Baptist Church -- Reverend Erwin Trollinger  Centro Cristiano Renacer -- Pastor Carlos Sorto  Christian Gateway Church -- Pastor Emmanuel Asse Christian Light Missionary Baptist -- Reverend Isaac Melton  Church of South Hempstead -- Reverend Patrick Duggan Church of God Hempstead -- Pastor Eliezer Reyes  Eglise de Dieu de Baisley -- Pastor Pierre Windsor Joseph First Baptist Church of Westbury -- Bishop Lionel Harvey  Franklin Outreach Ministries The Church Without Walls -- Reverend Lorraine Madry Gateway Christian Center -- Reverend Frantz Metellus Genesis Assembly of God -- Pastor Fernando Gomez  Harvest at the Atlantic Church of God Island Park -- Mark Beavers, Administrator  Horeb Christian Alliance -- Reverend Jean Romulus Iglesia de Dios of Uniondale -- Pastor Amado Brito  Long Island Council of Churches -- Reverend Tom Goodhue  New Life Christ Church Long Beach -- Pastor Mark Moses  St. Mark Remnant Ministries Inc. -- Reverend Roderick Pearson Hudson Valley Bet Am Shalom Synagogue -- Rabbi Lester Bronstein Bethesda Baptist Church of New Rochelle -- Rev. Dr. Allen Paul Weaver Calvary Baptist Church -- Reverend Erwin Trollinger Community Unitarian Universalist Congregation at White Plains -- Rev. Meredith Gamon First Baptist Church of Bronxville -- Reverend Lamont Granby Grace Church Today -- Senior Pastor W. Franklyn Richardson Iglesia 3ra Nueva Jerusalem -- Pastor Jeremias Cortave Kingdom Christian Cultural Center -- Rev. James Hassell Macedonia Baptist Church -- Reverend Darren Morton  Metropolitan AME Zion Church -- Pastor Julius Walls  Middletown Seventh-day Adventist Church -- Reverend Victor Dyman  Mt. Vernon Heights Congregational Church -- Reverend Troy DeCohen  One Accord Christian Church -- Reverend Robert Bolton  Shaarie Tikvah Congregation -- Rabbi Carl Astor  Shiloh Baptist Church -- Reverend DeQuincy Hentz  St. Peter's Evangelical Lutheran Church -- Reverend Aaron Royale  The Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Catskills -- Reverend Erica Baron  Union Presbyterian Church of Newburgh -- Reverend David Mason  Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Northern Westchester -- Reverend Michael Tino  Unity Baptist Church, Mt. Vernon -- Reverend Ed Mulraine  Central New York Alliance for Transforming Communities -- Mark Cass, Executive Director  Episcopal Diocese of Central New York -- Bishop Skip Adams  New Life Temple of Praise -- Bishop Ronald Dewberry  St. Lucy's Church -- Father Jim Matthews Temple Society of Concord -- Rabbi Daniel Fellman  The Finger Lakes American Baptist Church of the Rochester Genesee -- Reverend Alan Newton  First Born Church of the Living God -- Reverend Sarah Davis  Greece Baptist Church -- Senior Pastor Steve Gretz Greece Baptist Church -- Assistant Pastor Nicole Iaquinto Greece Baptist Church -- Assistant Pastor Cheryl Frank Lily of the Valley Church of God in Christ -- Reverend Leon Dupree  Peace Missionary Baptist Church -- Reverend Franklin Ross  Prayer House Church of God By Faith -- Pastor George Dailey Prayer House Church of God By Faith -- Elder Willie Lightfoot Trinity Emmanuel Presbyterian Church -- Reverend William Wilkinson Southern Tier Olean Area Lutheran Churches -- Reverend Gerard LeFerber  River of Life Church of God In Christ -- Pastor Mario Williams Upper Room Family Worship Center -- Reverend Amos Simmons Mt. Sinai Church of God in Christ – Reverend Arthur Jones  Western New York Bethlehem Lutheran Church -- Reverend Timothy Hoyer  Blackwell A.M.E. Church -- Reverend Reggie Smith  Community Helping Hands -- Reverend James Barnwell Emmanuel Baptist Church of Jamestown -- Reverend Leroy Walker  First Congregational Church -- Reverend David Potts  First Covenant Church -- Reverend Julie Anderson  Healing World Ministry -- Bishop Leecroft Clark  Lincoln United Methodist Church -- Pastor George Nicholas  Miracle Missions Full Gospel Church -- Pastor James Lewis III  Open Door #3 Church of God in Christ -- Reverend Frank Torrain Second Baptist Church -- Reverend Mark Blue St. Mary's Episcopal Church -- Reverend Michael Lonto  True Bethel Baptist Church -- Reverend Darius Pridgen  United Christian Advocacy -- Reverend Rick Hunter Westminster Presbyterian Church -- Reverend Thomas Yorty  Mohawk Valley Johnson Park Center -- Reverend Maria Scates Temple Emanu-El -- Rabbi Cassi Kail Capital Region  Holy Serenity COGIC -- Pastor Cornelius Clark  Mount Olivet Baptist Church of Empowerment in Saratoga Springs -- Pastor Victor Collier  Metropolitan New Testament Mission Baptist Church -- Pastor Damone Paul Johnson  Shiloh Baptist Church, Hudson & President, Empire Baptist Missionary Convention -- Pastor Ronald Grant  St. John's COGIC & President, Albany African American Clergy United For Empowerment -- Pastor McKinley Johnson Troy Area United Ministries -- Reverend Donna Elia  Wilborn Temple First COGIC -- Pastor Solomon Dees  North Country First Presbyterian Church of Plattsburgh -- Dr. Robert Svenson  Grace Episcopal Church of Canton -- Father Chuck Smith  The First Presbyterian Church of Canton -- Reverend Michael Catanzaro  University Chaplain at St. Lawrence University -- Reverend Kathleen Buckley