Lightfoot's minimum wage compromise advances, to cheers from restaurant owners

[TexasTowelie]

Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s plan to raise Chicago’s minimum wage to $15-an-hour by 2021, but maintain a “sub-minimum wage” for tipped workers, cleared a key legislative hurdle on Monday to cheers from restaurant owners.

Illinois Restaurant Association President Sam Toia said the “pragmatic” mayoral compromise advanced by the City Council’s Budget Committee “balances the needs of hard-working Chicagoans” struggling to make ends meet with “neighborhood businesses that drive our economy.”

“Maintaining the tipped wage allows severs and bartenders to maximize their earnings while keeping labor costs down for operators and prices reasonable for consumers,” Toia said, arguing that restaurants operate on a narrow profit margin of 3% to 5%.

“By taking a reasonable approach to the $15-an-hour minimum wage that preserves the tipped wage, the City Council will allow restaurants to continue to grow and invest in our communities.”

Read more: https://chicago.suntimes.com/city-hall/2019/11/18/20971286/lightfoots-minimum-wage-compromise-tipped-workers-restaurants

[Farmer-Rick]

1. So a living wage for all except for tipped workers...

The ones who need a living wage the most are not going to get it.

Waiters, including tips, barely make over $11 an hour in Chicago according to the Chicago Tribune And hotel housekeepers are also considered tipped workers. They make practically nothing off tips.

Just another way to transfer wealth from the poor worker to rich owners. This is very unfair.