FRCMedia is conducting interviews with those in favor and opposed to the five ballot questions in this year’s State Election. Today we focus on Question 5, raising the minimum wage for tipped workers.
Tipped workers in Massachusetts, primarily those who work in restaurants, make a sub-minimum wage of $6.75 per hour. When a worker fails to make an hourly wage equal to least $15, the restaurant must make up the difference.
Question 5 would incrementally raise the sub-minimum wage for tipped workers until January 1, 2029, when it would meet the state’s minimum wage. At that time employers would have the option to leave tipping the way it is or pool tips to share with all employees not typically eligible for tips.
One Fair Wage is advocating that voters approve Question 5. Spokesperson Grace McGovern says many states do not have a sub-minimum wage where workers are closer to making a livable wage.
Chris Keohan represents the Committee to Protect Tips which asks voters to reject Question 5. They claim that 90 percent of tipped employees feel that if tips are reduced by mandating they make minimum wage, workers will earn less. He says similar laws passed elsewhere have been a disaster.
Ms. McGovern says those tipped workers who have come out against Question 5 do not represent all tipped staff that could benefit from passage of the initiative
Mr. Keohan says if restaurants are forced to pay minimum wage, costs will be passed on to customers which could negatively impact the hospitality economy.
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