Question 5 of the state’s five ballot questions for the Tuesday, Nov. 5 national election asks voters of the Commonwealth if they would like to see the “tipped minimum wage” of $6.75 for restaurant wait staff replaced with the standard minimum wage, which is currently $15, that is implemented in all other fields. Voting ‘yes’ represents support for implementing the change, while voting ‘no’ would support maintaining the current structure of a tip-adjusted wage.
While servers would technically still be able to collect tips under the new regulation, restaurants would have the ability to distribute the total amount collected to other staff members who do not directly interact with patrons.
Maitre d’ and Social Media Manager for The Blue Ox in Lynn Valentina Paz spoke on behalf of the entire establishment, saying that they endorse voting ‘no’ on the question. Paz said that while the business structure of the restaurant industry does need improvement, The Blue Ox does not see this potential change as beneficial.
“We want to protect the livelihood of hard-working men and women in the service industry,” Paz said. “We also want to keep costs down to the consumers that we love and enjoy taking care of.”
Swampscott’s Dockside Pub Owner Andrew Ingemi noted how the current laws that are in place already require all restaurants to pay their servers the regular minimum wage if they do not reach that amount through tips on any given day. He said that if the ‘yes’ vote were to pass, Dockside’s menu prices would have to substantially increase in order to afford having to pay their wait staff full wages.
“I have many other owner friends… I haven’t heard of any owner or any staff member at any restaurant in favor of this,” Ingemi said. “People don’t understand that this is going to affect people’s lives in a negative fashion.”
Daniella Aamico, a bartender at the Route 1 Grill House in Saugus, said that in addition to the effect this change could have on restaurant staff on a personal level, she feels it could also cause many locally owned restaurants to close entirely.
“A lot of places that are family-owned are going to have to go out of business,” Amico said.
Manager Jeff Floramo Jr. believes that customers will no longer be incentivized to tip at all if the question passes. He said that if the question passes, multiple waitresses at the Grill House are prepared to quit their jobs.
If a ‘yes’ vote passes, restaurants would have until 2029 to reach compliance with the new law.
