The debate over tipping rages on, especially in the light of the One Fair Wage campaign to force restaurants in Chicago to pay tipped workers the same minimum wage as everyone else, notwithstanding their receipt of additional gratuities. This campaign has been framed as an issue of equity and social justice: It was one of the campaign promises of Chicago’s new mayor, Brandon Johnson.
We’ve already published opinion pieces on both sides of this complex and oft-misunderstood issue. In general, tipped workers note that they work hard and deserve a better hourly wage along with their tips; their employers say the increased costs will result in more restaurants failing and more workers losing their jobs. Exactly what you would expect.
The proposal, supported by several aldermen in Johnson’s camp, would give restaurants a set period of time to increase the pay of all tipped workers to Chicago’s minimum wage, currently $15.80 an hour for employers with 21 or more workers (presumably keeping their tips on top of that). Tipped workers currently make at least $9 an hour plus tips, but employers have an existing legal obligation to make up the difference between the two if tips don’t do it on their own.
[ Raeghn Draper: Why the subminimum tipped wage has to go in Chicago ]
That raises the question as to why the Johnson administration, rather than strictly enforcing that law, would rather legislate a higher minimum for servers than, say, typically untipped dishwashers. But we’ll come...
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