A bill that will be introduced in the Montgomery County Council on Tuesday would raise the base minimum wage for tipped workers, if passed. Currently, servers and other workers who rely on tips are only required by county law to be paid $4 per hour before tips. In contrast, the county’s minimum wage for non-tipped workers is $16.70 for employers with 51 or more employees, $15 for employers with 50 or fewer employees and $14.50 for employers with 10 or fewer employees.
If passed, the minimum wage would increase at a staggered rate–going up to $6 in July 2024, $8 in July 2025, and so on in increasing increments of $2 until reaching the same rate as the standard minimum wage, according to a chart provided by a council staff member. The legislation is co-sponsored by Councilmember Will Jawando (D-At-large).
“I do think we’re at a unique moment right now where that foundational belief about human dignity for every worker is more [prevalent],” Jawando said. “The vast majority of Americans are in favor of unions, in favor of higher wages, and with inflation and inequality and insecurity growing, I think it has made it even more of an issue.
The legislation is similar to Initiative 82, which passed in Washington, D.C., last year, eliminating the tipped minimum wage.
Jawando said he hopes that passing wage laws similar to D.C. would create a level of standardization among restaurants in the area.
“Why would you be a low wage restaurant worker [in Montgomery County], when you can...
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