UPPER MARLBORO, Md. — Tipped workers in Prince George's County took to the streets to debate a plan to raise their minimum wage. But not all tipped workers support that idea. Some believe it will cost them money in the long run.
Ahead of a public hearing on the plan, the Restaurant Association of Maryland organized the “Save our Tips” rally in the Jaspers parking lot in Upper Marlboro.
Tipped workers marched divided outside the Wayne K. Curry Administration Building in Prince Georges County Thursday afternoon. They represent two sides in the debate over a proposal to raise the tipped minimum wage in Prince George's County from less than $3.63 an hour to $13 an hour.
In a meeting Thursday evening, the County Council voted to hold the bill after hearing concerns from restaurant workers.
“People come and they sleep on servers,” said one tipped worker who addressed the crowd. “Oh servers don’t make no money. Servers don’t do this. Servers don’t do that. Like I said I’ve been a server for eight years and I’ve been able to do a lot of things, with my tips.”
The servers dressed in green “Save Our Tips” t-shirts believe restaurants will just add surcharges to customers’ bills to offset the cost of wage increases, leading to fewer tips for the servers. Many restaurants in DC have added surcharges to bills to pay increased wages resulting from voter-passed Initiative 82.
However, the group One Fair Wage says that narrative is simply a scare tactic pushed by the restaurant industry.
They held their own rally outside the government building alongside Councilmember Edward Burroughs III who introduced the legislation.
“We’re not trying to take tips away from anybody,” Burroughs said. “We want tips on top.”
Guy Fohom said he’s a server in Prince George's County but would not say where.
“If you have some compassion for us and understanding, you should be able to make sure we get what we deserve,” Fohom said.
In Montgomery County, there will be another public hearing on a similar bill on Tuesday, introduced by Councilmember Will Jawando. The Maryland state legislature voted down a state-wide tipped minimum wage increase earlier this year.