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Massachusetts Republican Party Endorses No On Ballot Question 5, Saying Tipped Workers Should Not Also Get $15-An-Hour Minimum Wage

October 4, 2024

The Massachusetts Republican Party says no to Ballot Question 5.

Ballot Question 5 in Massachusetts will let voters decide if the state should raise its tipped minimum wage from $6.75 an hour to match the state’s minimum wage by 2029 (the state’s minimum wage is now $15 an hour). Nowadays, if a tipped worker’s employer pay plus tips fails to reach $15 an hour at the end of a shift, the employer is supposed to make up the difference, according to Mass.gov. The amount the employer has to supplement varies, but most tipped workers already earn more than $15 an hour on their own.

The ballot question would also let restaurants administer tip pools that include back-of-house restaurant employees. Current state law says that restaurant tip pools in Massachusetts can only include waiters, bartenders, and service employees like bussers and food runners. That means that hostesses, dishwashers, cooks, bouncers, and managers cannot legally receive money from these pools.

Massachusetts Republican Party chairman Amy Carnevale said she strongly opposes this proposal.

“I can’t understand who the proponents of this measure are fighting for,” Carnevale said in a press release from the MassGOP. “This ballot question harms everyone involved in the restaurant industry, particularly bartenders and waitstaff. Before making a decision, I implore voters to speak with their favorite waitress or bartender at their preferred restaurant and ask how they plan to vote.”

“From owners to waitstaff, everyone in the restaurant industry opposes this measure,” she added. “This ballot question doesn’t benefit anyone and will make dining out — a simple pleasure in life — less affordable for Massachusetts residents. We have no right to interfere with people’s livelihoods. The MassGOP stands firm in voting NO against Question 5.”

Here is what the rest of the press release said:

 

The MassGOP strongly opposes Ballot Question 5, concerning the minimum wage for tipped workers. If enacted, this initiative would have detrimental effects on the entire restaurant industry, impacting not only the establishments but also the servers, bartenders, and patrons throughout Massachusetts. By eliminating the tipped minimum wage, the initiative would compel restaurants to pay the full minimum wage to tipped workers, significantly increasing their operating costs. This change threatens the viability of restaurants and the livelihoods of those who work in this vital sector of our economy.

Servers and bartenders already earn significantly more than the minimum wage, choosing this profession because they can make in a weekend what someone in a standard 9-to-5 job earns in a week. A survey conducted among waitstaff and bartenders revealed that 86% of respondents believe the current tipping system works for them. Additionally, 90% of those surveyed feel that eliminating tipped wages would result in lower earnings for tipped employees. Furthermore, 80% oppose a mandatory tip pool that would share tips with the kitchen and other non-service staff. An overwhelming 91% expressed a preference for the existing system, which allows for a lower base wage while providing the opportunity to earn more through tips.

Mom-and-pop dining establishments, still recovering from the effects of the pandemic, will be among the hardest hit. Introducing this additional burden will force many small restaurants to close their doors. Other establishments will have no choice but to raise their prices, ultimately leading to a more expensive dining experience for consumers.

 

One Fair Wage, an organization that seeks to end the sub-minimum wage for tipped workers in every state, led the effort to get Question 5 on the ballot in Massachusetts.

The organization contends that tipped workers should receive the same minimum wage as everyone else — plus tips.

“Big restaurant corporations are not paying their fair share and are forcing consumers to cover their employees’ wages through tips,” One Fair Wage wrote on its ballot question committee web site. “Tips should be a reward for good service, not a subsidy for low wages paid by large corporations.”

The organization also argues that all restaurant workers should get a share of the tips given to bartenders and waiters.

“Restaurants and bars will have the option of including back-of-house workers in tip pools, bringing Massachusetts up to the federal standard, increasing teamwork within restaurant staff, and lifting up all workers,” One Fair Wage wrote

Massachusetts voters are set to decide the ballot question on Tuesday, November 5.

 

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