GOP Restart Wage Debate With Talk Of Tips
House Republicans reignited a debate over the minimum wage Monday with a move to exempt some servers
, bartenders and other tipped workers from future hikes — a likely non-starter for the Democrats in control of the Senate and governor’s office.
Restaurant owners, servers and union officials alike turned out in force to rehash some familiar arguments from last year’s law that bumped the state’s minimum wage up to $9.50 hourly by 2016. Now, Republican Rep. Pat Garofalo has a bill that would allow employers to pay tipped staff $8 hourly if tips bring their pay above $12 an hour.
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That gives the parade of waiters, waitresses and union representatives who objected to Garofalo’s bill a strong ally. Along with some House DFL lawmakers, they portrayed the proposal as an attack on last year’s much-needed wage boost.
“This bill is an attack on the dignity of working people, and you have a chance to stand with workers or to hurt them” Cliff Martin of Take Action Minnesota said.
