BOSTON —
A group is looking to increase the minimum wage for workers in Massachusetts who also get paid in tips.
One Fair Wage is seeking to get people in the service industry full minimum wage in addition to the tips they earn. The group has already made major inroads in Washington and Chicago, and it is now collecting signatures in Massachusetts to get a measure on the 2024 statewide ballot.
"For a population that is still to this day overwhelmingly women, disproportionately women of color and has the highest rates of single mothers of any occupation in the United States," said Saru Jayaraman, president of One Fair Wage.
Massachusetts law currently sets minimum wage at $15 an hour, but tipped workers get a base wage — also known as a service rate — of $6.75 an hour. Those workers must still be paid at least $15 an hour after accounting for tips.
"People in Massachusetts say: 'I am embarrassed to find out that Massachusetts has a wage of just over $6 and it's not right,'" Jayaraman said. "These workers deserve full minimum wage with tips on top."
"It is becoming harder and more expensive to live in this commonwealth, and so this is something that should appeal to a lot of folks," said State Rep. Samantha Montano.
Montano has introduced legislation to pay workers minimum wage across the board and thinks that would also benefit restaurant owners who have struggled to hire and retain staff following the COVID-19 pandemic.
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