Stop Attacks on the Tipped Minimum Wage
Council of the District of Columbia
Tipped workers, voters, and consumers want restaurant workers to make the full DC minimum wage plus tips. Mayor Bowser is calling for the full repeal, reducing the current wages of tipped workers.
In 2022, DC voters overwhelmingly voted for Initiative 82 to eliminate the unfair “tipped wage system.” Nearly 75% of DC voters backed the initiative because we know that tipped workers work hard and deserve better and more stable incomes.
Rolling back the tipped minimum wage to pre-82 levels would lower the wage from the current $10/hour to $5.35/hour, nearly cutting the pre-tip pay of workers in half. Many tipped workers face wage theft in the form of unpaid or underpaid tips and DC does not have a viable system for preventing this theft, leaving workers to suffer.
The Council should stand by the will of the voters and the wages of tipped workers. Refuse to make any changes to the tipped minimum wage as part of the FY26 budget.
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To:
Council of the District of Columbia
From:
[Your Name]
In 2022, DC voters overwhelmingly voted for Initiative 82 to eliminate the unfair “tipped wage system.” A total of 73% of DC voters backed the initiative because we know that tipped workers work hard and deserve better and more stable incomes.
I stand with tipped workers, consumers, and DC voters in supporting the elimination of the tipped wage.
The Council should stand by the will of the voters and the wages of tipped workers. Refuse to make any changes to the tipped minimum wage as part of the FY26 budget.