By Jonathan Davies
Fast food workers in the state of New York will see minimum wage almost double to $15 (£9.60) per hour.
The US' fast food workers, particularly those at McDonald's, have been campaigning for a $15 wage for more than a year. It currently stands at $8.75.
Workers in New York City will be the first to see rise in 2018. But those in the rest of the state will have to wait until 2021. It is expected that 180,000 fast food workers will benefit from the increase.
Several US cities including Seattle, San Francisco and Los Angeles have made similar moves to raise wages for fast food workers as a result of high profile campaigns.
State Governor Andrew Cuomo said: "You cannot live and support a family on $18,000 a year in the state of New York, period.
"This is just the beginning. We will not stop until we reach true economic justice."
Although he has now power to raise the minimum wage, New York mayor Bill de Blasio said he would now push for a higher wages for every workers in the city. He said: "This only underscores how necessary it is to raise the wage across the board. As much as fast food workers need and deserve a raise - and we know they do - we must ensure that every worker gets a living wage."
But the move hasn't been welcomed by everyone. Jack Bert, a franchisee who owns seven McDonald's in New York City, described it as a "flawed process".
He said: "Singling out fast food restaurants while ignoring other industries that hire workers who are paid under $15 is unfair and discriminatory, harms New York workers, and puts some New York businesses - including mine and my fellow New York McDonald's franchisees - at a competitive disadvantage."
