[Boston.com] Should the tipped minimum wage be abolished? Lawmakers hear from advocates, servers on proposed ballot question.
State lawmakers heard arguments for and against a proposed ballot question to raise the minimum wage for tipped workers Tuesday — a measure some say would mean less money for workers and others say would protect workers’ rights.
One Fair Wage, a national coalition, is sponsoring a proposed ballot question to raise the current $6.75 wage for tipped workers to $15 over the course of five years. The proposal also changes Massachusetts’s current tip sharing rules. If passed, the law would permit employers to split tips among all workers, including non-tipped workers.
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Experts spoke to the Special Joint Committee on Initiatives Petitions, detailing the complexities of raising the tipped minimum wage. Sean Jung, an assistant professor at Boston University’s School of Hospitality Administration, told lawmakers the measure could prompt a change in the restaurant industry in Massachusetts.
Jung said to survive, restaurants could reduce hours of wait staff, fire employees, use more frozen food, add service charges, or go out of business. He said the profit margins are already low due to the pandemic and high inflation rates.