WASHINGTON -- In a rare move, D.C. Council is ready to overturn last month's ballot measure to raise the minimum wage for bartenders and servers.
D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson introduced a bill Tuesday that would repeal Initiative 77.
"Workers aren't going to benefit," said Mendelson, adding the June 19 primary ballot initiative perplexed voters.
The plan aimed to raise the minimum wage of tipped workers to $15 per hour by 2026. The standard was $3.33 per hour for tipped workers.
Some bartenders, like Mike Haresign of Kitty O'Shea's in Tenleytown, say the measure would have destroyed the custom of tipping while adding to an establishment's costs.
"It affects our ability to make money," said Haresign, adding the bar's profit margins are often only eight percent.
Seven of 13 council members have signed onto a repeal bill. Mendelson said council will likely hold a hearing in September to hear all sides, but added he sees no "middle ground."
Groups who advocated for Initiative 77 are crying foul. They say DC Council should respect the voters who turned out to the polls June 19.
One Fair Wage DC said it would be "deeply undemocratic for Council to overturn the will of the people."
