Posts tagged tipped wage
Op-ed: Chicago’s Minimum-Wage Retreat
March 23, 2026 // Chicago’s distressed dining scene—recently described as “on the brink of collapse”—was bolstered by good news last week, as the City Council voted to halt future increases in the minimum wage for servers and bartenders. This is a setback for progressive Mayor Brandon Johnson, who counts the wage hike as one of his administration’s few accomplishments. But it’s good news for Chicagoans. Chicago’s wage woes date to 2023, when Mr. Johnson made raising the tipped minimum wage an early priority after being elected. It was an unusual choice: Servers and bartenders already earn more than minimum wage, especially in Chicago, where a typical restaurant worker reportedly earns nearly $30 an hour between the lower base wage and tips.
Lessons from D.C.: Why “$30 by ‘30” Wage Plan Could Leave Servers with Less
October 26, 2025 // Mr. Mamdani’s plan is being aligned with a renewed push by progressive New York legislators to eliminate the tipped-wage system, which would require restaurant workers to be paid the same minimum wage as all other tipped-wage positions. Legislation has been percolating in Albany in recent years that would phase out the tipped wage by 2028, with a prominent “Living Wage for All Coalition” now launching to guide the effort to fruition. Behind the coalition is the group One Fair Wage, which has been spearheading a systematic effort to eliminate the tipped-wage system in progressive jurisdictions across America. One Fair Wage has seen success in large cities such as Chicago and Washington, D.C., but as these policies take hold, the economic reality is starting to bite.
GOP senator, labor secretary visit Louisiana alligator farm touting new pro-worker legislation
August 16, 2025 // Fresh off helping pass that bill, Cassidy is championing his pro-worker legislation, the Unlocking Benefits for Independent Workers Act, introduced last month with senators Tim Scott, R-S.C., and Rand Paul, R-Ky. The bill seeks to modernize federal labor laws, granting gig workers and independent contractors access to health benefits, paid sick leave and retirement plans, among other provisions.
Restaurant owners, workers hold competing rallies over potential repeal of Initiative 82
June 5, 2025 // Wednesday, business owners and workers held competing rallies outside the Wilson Building, as the D.C. Council considers the fate of Initiative 82. Initiative 82 was passed in November of 2022 and implemented the following Spring. The voter-backed law eliminates the tipped minimum wage by gradually raising wages over the next several years. But that law is now in question, as Mayor Muriel Bowser proposed repealing I-82 under her 2026 budget.
Gov. Jared Polis’ coming labor bill veto will strain Democrat’s labor ties — and set stage for ballot fight
May 15, 2025 // Polis has said that Colorado’s 81-year-old labor law has worked well and that he wants maximum employee input in negotiating union dues. He added Thursday that he wanted a deal that would bring stability to business-labor relations in the state, referring to fears that a change to the status quo would usher in a tug-of-war over competing ballot measures and legislation. Asked about Polis’ skeptical views of SB-5, Dougherty said those were concerns “that were not relayed to us when he was running for governor.”
GOP senators unveil legislation to cut taxes on overtime pay in line with Trump’s campaign promise
May 7, 2025 // The Overtime Wages Tax Relief Act, introduced by Sens. Roger Marshall (R-Kan.) and Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), would allow individuals to deduct up to $10,000 in overtime pay from their tax bill. Married couples would be able to deduct up to $20,000. The legislation includes phase-out eligibility based on income. So, once individual adjusted gross income reaches $100,000, or $200,000 for married couples, the deduction is reduced by $50 for every $1,000 in earnings above the threshold.
House Republicans serve up reforms for tipped wage and paid leave
January 16, 2025 // House bills 4001 and 4002, introduced by Reps. Jay Deboyer, R-Clay Township, and Rep. John Roth, R-Interlochen, would modify new laws that, as of Feb. 21, will require paid time off for all employees and minimum wage for tipped wage workers. The 2024 decision by the state’s high court followed years of lawmaking, and the resulting laws, which have become a hot potato for both parties. Taken together, the new laws could increase restaurant costs by a quarter or more, according to a restaurant industry survey.
Over 9.2 million workers will get a raise on January 1 from 21 states raising their minimum wages
December 18, 2024 // Twenty-one states will increase their minimum wages on January 1, raising pay for more than 9.2 million workers by a total of $5.7 billion. In addition, 48 cities and counties will raise their minimum wages above their state wage floors, mostly in California, Colorado, and Washington.
Diner Chain Waffle House Underpaid Workers, Union Alleges in Federal Complaint
September 24, 2024 // According to the complaint, servers spent on average two to three hours of a seven-hour shift performing non-tipped work. The USSW estimates servers lose as much as $46.8 million in unpaid wages annually due to the alleged violations. These infractions are not uncommon in the industry: a 2012 Labor Department investigation of more than 9,000 restaurants found more than 84% of them violated tip credit rules, resulting in millions in lost wages.
Georgia Today: Waffle House workers try to unionize; Chatham County DA race; Ocmulgee Mounds park
May 3, 2024 // Workers attachment to the system and commitment to tip earning, is exponentially higher in the fine dining sector, where menu prices are higher, and tips are higher too. Amanda Andrews: But a 20% tip on the Waffle House All Star special is just $2.30. Goldberg says the instability of the restaurant industry in general is another reason wages are low.