Is the "tipped wage" a good wage for waitstaff?

[Rail Paul]

The Restaurant Workers of America have sought to roll back various laws which raised wages for restaurant workers. The group argues that workers did better under the old system, with a low tipped minimum wage. The Daily News has a version of the standard RWA article tailored for NY wages.

 

 

 

http://www.nydailynews.com/opinion/tipped-wage-good-waitstaff-article-1.3774951

[Suzanne F]

Oh to be able to see through peoples' computers as they itch to respond but know they have to be apolitical or come across as hypocrites on the "no politics" rule.

[Sneakeater]

I don't understand why Admins feel compelled to post things like this. As I keep saying, a large portion of the posts I consider political on MFF comes from Admins.

[Peter Creasey]

Can anyone guess what my opinion is on this?

 

No? Okay, I think Paul's posting appropriately avoids politics and talks about a real-life situation affecting food and beverage servers (and this site is [sometimes, at least] a food and beverage site).

 

Plus, it is an interesting position taken by the restaurant workers...and it makes a lot sense.

[Peter Creasey]

I'm still thinking about the restaurant workers' position.

 

Perhaps it's similar to the situation when the tip is automatically added to my tab by the restaurant. I'm always amused, and perhaps even pleased, because the percentage they automatically add is always less than what I would have offered up.

 

If people know the servers are more dependent on the tip, then the servers are likely to fare better...which I guess is their position on this.

[voyager]

I think it depends on the genre of the restaurant and within that the specific restaurant, regional and local location. The (good looking and affable) son of a friend took a summer job bussing in a pricey Berkeley restaurant and was netting a hundred bucks a shift plus minimum wage. Of course he'd lose out without the tips. But change the dining room to a low end, low ticket place and the picture is completely different.

[Steve R.]

I don't understand why Admins feel compelled to post things like this. As I keep saying, a large portion of the posts I consider political on MFF comes from Admins.

And this is the difference of opinion I had with you when you were an Admin. Although its definitely not a clear cut line & I respect your consistency, I think that you have way too broad a concept of what is political in the context of thread/post writing on a discussion board. I agree with Voyager & Creasey that RPs posts arent crossing the line &, in fact, think that even more leeway should be given on topics that arent blatantly capital p political but raise issues of import to us all. For example, I dont even see how a discussion of something like gerrymandering, as much as its an overt political instrument, should be considered against our politics rule as long as the posts stick to the concept and not how any political party or individual politician is using it for partisan gain. I certainly dont see how a wages issue is, of itself, against our rules.

 

As an aside, I think we both come from a generation that tried to tie everything together and rejected artificial separation of almost anything from its economic, social & political roots. Remember the 60s slogan the personal IS political? Although I believe its something to be seriously considered, its just not useful for an internet board.