August 27, 2021

Is the Fight for $15 Becoming the Fight for $20, or $30?

After getting nixed from this past spring’s reconciliation bill due to procedural rules, the federal $15 minimum wage proposal has been sidetracked given other legislative priorities for Democrats and the Biden administration. Nevertheless, the so-called “Fight for $15” movement has pushed forward in other arenas, including corporate minimum wage campaigns…
August 20, 2021

What Does Larry Elder Mean When He Says The Ideal Minimum Wage Should Be $0?

Larry Elder is running in what appears to be a close race to replace current California Governor Gavin Newsom if voters elect to recall him. Elder says he is basing his campaign on “common sense” principles, and alarmed some Californians a few weeks ago when he said “the ideal minimum…
New York August 13, 2021

Even with a New Governor, Ending the Tip Credit Would Still Harm New York’s Restaurant Employees

The Restaurant Opportunities Center (ROC) and its affiliated non-profit One Fair Wage (OFW) have relentlessly demanded that New York state lawmakers scrap the tip credit, which allows restaurant employers to count tips towards the minimum wage requirement. While it aggressively pushed Governor Andrew Cuomo to raise the state minimum wage…
August 6, 2021

The Tipping Track Record: One Fair Wage’s $15 Wage Recommendations Don’t Actually Work

This week One Fair Wage (OFW), known for its aggressive and controversial tactics to advocate for ending tipping and the tip credit, released a “How-To Guide” for restaurants to adopt a flat minimum wage, like the Raise The Wage Act’s goal of $15 per hour. But the organization’s catchy…
New Hampshire July 30, 2021

NH Lawmakers Again Show Their Support for Tipped Workers

Last week, New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu signed legislation to sever the tie between the state’s minimum base wage for tipped employees and the federal minimum wage, which the state currently adopts as its own minimum requirement for all non-tipped employees. As President Biden and Congressional allies continue pushing for…
July 23, 2021

Forthcoming Study Links Minimum Wage Hikes to Drops in Healthcare Coverage

The economics of minimum wage hikes are pretty simple: raising minimum wage costs causes employers to account for these costs in other areas. Evidence of this trend is well-documented: wage hikes have been demonstrated to cost workers their jobs, or cause a decline in scheduled hours. Employees at companies…
July 16, 2021

New Report Draws Bogus Link Between Housing Costs and Minimum Wage

Every year, the National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC) releases a new report with headline-inducing statistics and fancy maps detailing the so-called “Housing Wage” that workers need to earn to afford the current rental market. This year was no exception – and minimum wage hike…
New Hampshire July 9, 2021

Raising NH’s Minimum Wage to $15 Would Kill Over 13,000 Jobs

This week, the Restaurant Opportunities Center, a controversial interest group known for aggressively pushing to end the tip credit and tipping system, held an event in New Hampshire to pressure Sens. Maggie Hassan and Jeanne Shaheen into supporting a future Raise the Wage Act proposal. Hassan and Shaheen were…
New York July 1, 2021

Ahead of NY State Wage Hike, NYC’s Experience With $15 Previews Employment Consequences

July 1st marks a scheduled raise to a $15 minimum wage for all fast food workers across New York State. Eighteen other states and localities saw minimum wage hikes yesterday too. But areas considering their own wage increases should be wary of the impact $15 can have, as…
District of Columbia June 25, 2021

Initiative 77 Didn’t Represent DC Restaurant Workers in 2018, and It Doesn’t Now

Ballot Initiative 77 sought to eliminate the District of Columbia’s tip credit, and instead require traditionally-tipped restaurant workers to be paid the regular minimum wage, a practice that often incentivizes employers to move to a no-tipping system, which can have disastrous effects for tipped workers’ earnings and jobs. The Initiative…