BOSTON —
A movement called One Fair Wage is gaining momentum in Massachusetts to raise the minimum wage for tipped workers, who currently earn a sub-minimum wage of $6.75 an hour.
Worker tips are supposed to make up the difference to reach the standard minimum wage of $15 an hour.
The movement has gathered over 75,000 signatures to put the issue on the ballot as a question for voters next year.
Angela, who has been working in restaurants for 25 years, supports One Fair Wage and says that making a sub-minimum wage makes her feel sub-human.
She showed a recent paycheck after taxes, which was for zero dollars and zero cents.
"It takes away from your worth, so people feel like they can treat you less," she said.
"Tip workers are overwhelmingly women, particularly women of color, many of whom are single parents," Massachusetts Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley said at Monday night's event.
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Long before she was a congresswoman, Pressley was a hotel worker.
"I want you to know that I give a damn about your livelihood, but I care that much more about your lives," Pressley said.
The Massachusetts Restaurant Association warns that a universal wage would be devastating for many owners.
"A similar bill was passed in Washington, D.C., and we're one year out and we're seeing on average one restaurant a week closed," Steve Clark, with the Massachusetts Restaurant Association, said. "We're seeing labor...
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