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Letter: Evanston got it right with tipped minimum wage decision
October 2023 · Rebekah Paxton · Daily Herald
Last week, Chicago and neighboring Evanston made newsworthy decisions on the tipped minimum wage. Only one city got it right on behalf of tipped workers: Evanston city council decided to maintain the city’s tip credit in their consideration of future minimum wage hikes. The tip credit system allows restaurants with razor-thin profit margins to stay in business while providing tipped job opportunities. Workers are guaranteed to make… -
Shapiro’s misguided push for $15 minimum wage won’t work for Pennsylvania
October 2023 · Rebekah Paxton · The Center Square - Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania’s small businesses employ over 2.5 million people throughout the Commonwealth. But if Governor Shapiro has his way, thousands of these jobs could soon be under threat. Earlier this year, the state legislature attempted to raise the minimum wage to $15 per hour and the wage for tipped employees to $9 per hour. Now, Gov. Josh Shapiro and state legislators are reigniting the conversation, pushing for an unprecedented 107 percent minimum wage… -
The Unintended Consequences of Removing Tipped Minimum Wage in Montgomery County
September 2023 · Rebekah Paxton · The Center Square - Maryland
Earlier last week, the Montgomery County Council introduced legislation that would eliminate the use of the tip credit and raise the minimum wage for tipped restaurant employees by more than 300 percent. While the idea of boosting hourly wages seems well-intentioned, the Council’s plan could backfire spectacularly. Indeed, it’s already been disastrous in neighboring Washington, D.C. For starters, the push to eliminate the tip credit misunderstands how tipped workers… -
I’m a tipped server. Mayor Johnson’s restaurant minimum wage plan could ruin my livelihood.
September 2023 · Destiny Fox & Michael Saltsman · Chicago Sun Times
I’ve been in the restaurant industry since I was born. That’s only a slight exaggeration. My mom worked in the service industry for much of my childhood and provided a good living for us doing so. I chose to follow in her footsteps. Today, my tipped earnings don’t just allow me to survive — they allow me to thrive. Recently, I even moved downtown, thanks to the… -
Letter: Listen to employees on tipping, not activists
September 2023 · Rebekah Paxton · New York Daily News
Arlington, Va: In her Sept. 4 op-ed, “On this Labor Day, a tip for New York’s leaders,” Reshma Saujani argues for eliminating New York’s tip credit without acknowledging how doing so would hurt the very employees she claims to advocate for. Saujani says “people hate tipping.” Yet, her source for this claim finds that 83% of restaurant-goers are routine tippers. In fact, the growing use of alternative… -
Letter: This Labor Day, remember to give workers tips
September 2023 · Rebekah Paxton · Santa Cruz Sentinel
If you dine out this Labor Day weekend, remember to tip your server or bartender. Tips and the tipped wage system allow restaurant workers to earn 3-4 times the minimum wage, on average. Top earners can bring in $40 or more. Anti-worker activist groups such as the Restaurant Opportunities Center are spending big to eliminate the tipping system. They oppose it for ideological reasons, and would rather…