YES

John Tompkins

Member of Boston area chapter of Restaurant Opportunities Centers United; works at restaurant in Sandwich; New Bedford resident

I am 62 years old. Since 1976, I have been working in restaurants. At 14, I got my first job as a dishwasher. I was beyond proud when I got $37 in my pocket, after working long hours for a week. I thought I was rich!

Fast forward 46 years, and I am now a kitchen manager at an Italian restaurant on Route 130 in Sandwich. But for many restaurant workers, wages have not significantly changed in more than three decades. Tipped workers in Massachusetts are still paid $6.15 per hour; and worse, $2.13 per hour in 16 states.

That’s why it is important for Massachusetts to eliminate the subminimum wage — the lower minimum wage for tipped workers. Every worker — most particularly servers and other front-of-the-house workers — needs to be paid at least the full minimum wage for every hour of work, plus tips on top. Period. Tips are not guaranteed, but your electric bill, car insurance, and rent are!

Over the years, I have seen and been through a lot. I’m the youngest in my family, and my parents worked really hard — especially my father who was often assigned to the graveyard shift — just to make ends meet for their six boys. So I know how every penny earned could go a long way for hard-working families. I’m not currently a tipped worker, but having been one in the past, I have experienced firsthand the struggle of relying on tips to...

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