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The group One Fair Wage says Illinois has a “unique opportunity
to lead by prioritizing policies that deliver meaningful wage
increases and economic security for low-wage and tipped
workers.”
They recently rallied in Springfield to urge legislators to
abolish the tipped wage.
“Statewide wage reform is a commonsense solution to ensure all
workers, including tipped workers, earn fair wages while
supporting Illinois families and strengthening our economy,”
said One Fair Wage President Saru Jayaraman. “This isn’t a
partisan issue – it’s a matter of ensuring every worker in
Illinois has the opportunity to earn a living wage.”
Asked about the push, state Rep. Dan Caulkins, R-Decatur, said
that idea hasn’t been proven effective.
“It’s nonsensical. It doesn’t work,” Caulkins said at an
unrelated news conference. “And the people in the restaurant
industry, we sat in committee hearings when they showed up, the
workers don’t want that.”
The issue came to a head earlier this year before the sponsor of
the bill to abolish the tipped wage, state Rep. Lisa Hernandez,
D-Cicero, said there wasn’t enough support. She may bring the
issue back up when the new General Assembly returns next year.
Caulkins said ending the tipped wage won’t work. He said
embracing Republican ideas of lower taxes and fewer regulations
is the way.
“This is the party that you need to stand with. We will stand up
for you, the working people of this state. We will make your
lives better. Give us an opportunity,” Caulkins said. “We need
to reject this woke agenda.”
A recent study from the Employment Policies Institute showed
that full-service restaurant employment in the Chicago area
declined in the months leading up to the city’s July 1 wage
increases. |
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