Baltimore restaurants say raising tipped wages would mean fewer jobs, hurting workers

Known as the “One Fair Wage bill” after the advocacy group of the same name, legislation pending before the Baltimore City Council could increase the base minimum wage for employees earning tips from $3.63 to $15 per hour. Businesses are already required to pay the difference for employees who still make less than $15 per hour with tips, but five council members say raising the minimum wage by phasing out this so-called “tip credit” can make earnings more predictable for bartenders, servers and other tipped employees.

“Why are we fixing something that isn’t broken? That’s number one. But number two: What people don’t realize when they talk about all this is the cost to a business?” Furman said. “If you were to eliminate [the tip credit], we would have to implement a surcharge and increase our prices, which in turn, the public will not come back.”

Read full story here on The Baltimore Sun.