On Tuesday, the D.C. City Council voted to repeal Initiative 77, or the legislation that would have raised the minimum wage for tipped workers in D.C.
The amendment which repealed Initiative 77 was first voted on October 2 also contains a mandated use of a third-party payroll system, creates an online wage theft portal for employees to file complaints, requires annual sexual harassment training for owners and managers and creates a tipped workers coordinating council that will conduct anonymous case reviews to investigate claims of wage violations for tipped workers.
Councilmember Nadeau brought up the addition of sexual harassment training, calling for training to be done in person and not online, as proposed. Councilmember Elissa Silverman expressed her wish that a compromise could have been reached on Initiative 77.
“I just want to be clear that today we all overturning the will of the voters,” Silverman said prior to the vote.
The initiative was initially voted on and passed by D.C. residents in June.
Initiative 77 called for the raising of minimum wage for tipped workers, who don’t make minimum wage, but are expected to make up for that pay with tips. Some proponents of the bill argued that it would put the various workers in a restaurant on fair ground and stand up for people of color, women and immigrations.
Opponents worried it would actually lower workers’ pay and lead to shrinking staffs at restaurants.
The efforts to repeal brought fierce debate from both sides, with workers packing D.C. Council meetings in the days leading up to the vote to express their views.
The repeal was voted on 8-5.
The bill now goes to Mayor Bowser to be signed.
