March 24, 2023

$15 Wage States Are Already More than Doubling Inflation

As the debate over how high minimum wages should reach continues, eyes are on New York as progressive lawmakers push for a forty percent statutory increase to $20 per hour before tying the rate to inflation. Proponents of the bill argue that New York’s minimum wage has fallen behind inflation…
March 17, 2023

The Fight Against Tip Credit Elimination Across the Country

As state legislatures spring into action, several bills across the country are targeting tip credits that allow restaurant employers to count tips toward the regular minimum wage requirement. This is part of a larger campaign by union activists at Restaurant Opportunities Center-affiliated One Fair Wage – pledging a $25 million…
March 10, 2023

New Data: One Flat Wage States See Lower Tips

Proponents of eliminating state tip credits mislead workers and lawmakers by arguing that doing so won’t hurt their tips. New data from point-of-sale tech giant Toast tells a different story. Seven states, as well as the District of Columbia, have enacted no-tip credit laws, meaning restaurants and bars are…
Maryland March 3, 2023

Maryland’s Anti-Tip Credit Bill Is A “Bad Economic Deal” for Tipped Workers

This week, the Maryland Senate Finance Committee heard public testimony regarding SB 803, which would eliminate Maryland’s tip credit and raise the hourly base wage for tipped restaurant workers by over 300 percent. The hearing was filled with current restaurant employees and restaurant owners who explained how the bill…
Maryland February 17, 2023

Maryland Is The Next Target for Unprecedented Wage Hikes

Maryland Governor Wes Moore is leading the charge to accelerate raising the state’s minimum wage, claiming he wants it to increase when inflation does throughout his campaign. But regional inflation data shows growth in the statutory minimum wage has already surpassed the rate of inflation. State lawmakers are…
February 10, 2023

After pushing for tip credit elimination, Biden wants to increase taxes on tipped workers

In his state of the union address this week, President Joe Biden doubled down on a mantra that no one earning less than $400,000 a year would pay new taxes. But the administration’s Internal Revenue Service quietly rolled out a new program to single out tipped restaurant workers to pay…
California, New York February 3, 2023

NYC’s Restaurant Recovery is Booming Past California Cities

Recent proposals to raise the minimum wage in New York state and the Big Apple have threatened to eliminate the tip credit, which mostly affects tipped restaurant employees’ ability to earn substantial income. Advocates argue eliminating the tip credit in New York City and beyond would bolster recovery from the…
January 27, 2023

Tracking Minimum Wage Bills in 2023

Dozens of states and cities implemented scheduled minimum wage hikes on January 1st, and several more approved increases on the ballot last November. Now, lawmakers are pushing the boundaries again with even higher target minimum wage rates and adding automatic inflationary increases to existing minimum wage laws. Here is a…
January 20, 2023

Push and Pull: While Some States Seek Further Min Wage Hikes, Others Pull Back

In 2022, record-breaking inflation drilled minimum wages beyond expectations in many states and cities, as seen by new wage rates taking effect January 1 and throughout this new year. Even still, many activists and progressive lawmakers are calling for even higher rates – pushing the boundary on how high minimum…
New York January 13, 2023

Attention Governor Hochul: NY’s Min Wage Growth Has Already Doubled Inflation

As state legislators in New York deliberate on a bill to raise the New York minimum wage even higher statewide, Governor Kathy Hochul has weighed in on the debate. Hochul announced during her 2023 State of the State address that not only should wages rise in the Big Apple, but…