N.Y. LAB Law § 653

§ 653. Investigation of adequacy of wages. (1) The commissioner shall\nhave power on his own motion to cause an investigation to be made of the\nwages being paid to persons employed in any occupation or occupations to\nascertain whether the minimum wages established in accordance with the\nprovisions of this article are sufficient to provide adequate\nmaintenance and to protect the health of the persons employed in such\noccupation or occupations. The commissioner shall, on the petition of\nfifty or more residents of the state engaged in or affected by an\noccupation or occupations sought to be investigated, cause such an\ninvestigation of such occupation or occupations to be conducted. If, on\nthe basis of information in his possession with or without such an\ninvestigation, the commissioner is of the opinion that any substantial\nnumber of persons employed in any occupation or occupations are\nreceiving wages insufficient to provide adequate maintenance and to\nprotect their health, he shall appoint a wage board to inquire into and\nreport and recommend adequate minimum wages and regulations for\nemployees in such occupation or occupations.\n (2) The commissioner shall, within six months after enactment of any\nchange in the statutory minimum wage set forth in subdivision one of\nsection six hundred fifty-two of this article, appoint a wage board to\ninquire and report and recommend any changes to wage orders governing\nwages payable to food service workers. Such wage board shall be\nestablished consistent with the provisions of subdivision one of section\nsix hundred fifty-five of this article, except the representatives of\nthe employees shall be selected upon the nomination of the state\nAmerican Federation of Labor/Congress of Industrial Organizations; and\nprovided, further, that the representatives of the employers shall be\nselected upon the nomination of the New York State Business Council. Any\nwage order authorizing a lesser wage than the previously and statutorily\nmandated minimum wage for such employees shall be reviewed by the wage\nboard to ascertain at what level such wage order is sufficient to\nprovide adequate maintenance and to protect the health and livelihood of\nemployees subject to such a wage order after a statutory increase in the\nmandated minimum wage.\n