Washington D.C. (April 21, 2021) — Today, the Employment Policies Institute (EPI) placed full-page ads in the Dover Post and the News Journal thanking Delaware Senators Chris Coons and Tom Carper for standing with Delaware tipped workers and opposing legislation that would eliminate the federal tip credit.

The ads feature quotes from restaurant industry workers across the state on the importance of preserving the tip credit.

• “Thank you for supporting the tipped wage system! It has allowed me to turn a job I truly love into a career with unlimited earning potential.” – Doug, Rehoboth Beach

• “The tipping system helps restaurants like mine keep prices affordable, and the waitstaff do better with tip income.” – Lottie, Wilmington

• “Working as a tipped employee has allowed me to earn a great income without a traditional 9-to-5 job.” – Dana, Rehoboth Beach

• ‘Thanks to the tip credit, what started as a summer job became a career that provides the income I need to live and enjoy my life.” – Meg, Dewey Beach

• “I’ve bought a house and I am the sole provider for my family, all thanks to tipping and hard work as a bartender.” – Andrew, Wilmington

You can view the Dover Post ad here and the News Journal ad here.

The ad also highlights OurIndustryOurVoice.com, an Employment Policies Institute project, hosting video testimonials from tipped workers across the United States who say the tipping system isn’t broken and doesn’t need fixing.

“Delaware’s robust tip credit system is central to servers and bartenders’ earnings and livelihoods,” said Michael Saltsman, Managing Director of the Employment Policies Institute. “Especially as the restaurant industry recovers from the effects of the pandemic, Congress should listen to employees who say the system works to provide them substantial earning opportunities and doesn’t need to be changed.”