US EditionDC mayor says Initiative 82 needs to be repealed
- Mayor Muriel Bowser is advocating for the D.C. Council to overturn Initiative 82, a voter-approved policy set to take effect on July 1, 2024, that mandates bars and restaurants compensate tipped workers at the standard minimum wage rather than using tips to supplement their earnings.
- The law passed in November 2022 with nearly 74% approval and eliminated the tipped wage system to raise the base wage amid post-pandemic workforce challenges and rising costs.
- Local restaurant leaders and organizations representing the industry have attributed a record number of 74 closures in 2024, along with reduced tips, staff layoffs, and operational challenges, to the impact of Initiative 82, which they say is pushing the restaurant sector to a critical breaking point.
- Mayor Bowser highlighted that restaurants in DC are encountering severe challenges due to rising expenses for operations and supplies, escalating rents, and distinct workforce issues, emphasizing the need to adjust policies to help local eateries remain viable, competitive, and provide jobs to DC residents.
- Repealing Initiative 82 aims to stabilize the restaurant sector, save jobs, and support local hiring, with changes requiring Council approval amid ongoing debate between advocacy groups and industry stakeholders.
52 Articles
52 Articles
DC Mayor Says Initiative 82 Must Be Repealed
The mayor of DC, Muriel Bowser, says a controversial law on the salaries of workers who receive tips in restaurants should be repealed. The effort to repeal what was known as Initiative 82 of 2022 was announced on Monday as part of her plan to transform the federal economy dependent on the city. In autumn 2022, voters approved the measure to eliminate the minimum wage with tips and create a single wage scale for workers, regardless of their sect…
DC Mayor Calls to Repeal Initiative 82 as Restaurant Closures Soar - American Faith
Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser is urging the repeal of Initiative 82, the controversial wage law requiring tipped workers to receive the full minimum wage, as restaurant closures and layoffs continue to mount across the city. The initiative, passed by nearly 74% of voters in 2022, raised tipped workers’ base wage and mandated employer compensation if tips fall short of the full minimum wage. Bowser pointed to escalating costs and collapsin…
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