Organizing for equality: Policy-oriented action to raise the tipped minimum wage

Exceptionalism in US laws and policies goes beyond just farmworkers. Restaurant workers are another group of laborers in the food chain that enjoy weaker labor protections than most other workers in the US. While the federal minimum wage for most workers is $7.25 per hour, the minimum wage for tipped workers is $2.13 per hour. Similarly, in most states the tipped minimum wage is much lower than the minimum wage for other workers. Restaurant workers rely on the generosity of clients for their livelihoods and while some workers make prosperous livings based on tips, they are in the minority. Sexual harassment is a related problem for restaurant workers because although many restaurant workers are treated inappropriately by their customers, they feel unable to do anything about it because they rely on their customers for tips. Restaurant Opportunities Center (ROC) United, an organization that includes 13,000 restaurant employees along with thousands of engaged consumer members, works to build power and voice for restaurant workers nationwide. As part of their efforts, they advocate for changing labor policies, such that the tipped minimum wage would equal the minimum wage for all other workers. These efforts address a policy exceptionalism in the US for restaurant workers. This presentation will describe efforts by restaurant workers to organize for policy change around the tipped minimum wage.