After years of waiting, workers will receive a living wage
LANSING – Michigan hourly workers, restaurant owners, and advocacy organizations discussed the importance of increasing the state’s minimum wage in 2023 during a virtual media roundtable Thursday.
The state’s current hourly minimum wage is $9.87 and will rise by 23 cents on Jan. 1. Another more significant increase will take effect Feb. 19 following a prolonged court battle fought by workers and their allies the past four years.
“The status quo forces a workforce, which is mainly women and people of color who are three times the poverty rate as the rest of the U.S. workforce, to struggle to feed their families in tips,” said Christina Hayes, paid leave organizer for Mothering Justice. “The arrival of this key economic policy in Michigan has been hard fought and a long time coming.”
To view their session from Thursday watch this YouTube video shared below:
The new year will bring in higher wages for Michigan workers – the intent of a ballot initiative from 2018 that was adopted and then underhandedly gutted by the Republican-controlled Legislature. Over this past summer, Court of Claims Judge Douglas Shapiro ruled that the Republicans’ “adopt and amend” tactic was unconstitutional. As a result, the minimum wage in Michigan will increase to $13.03 an hour, eliminate the subminimum tipped wage of $3.75 an hour and provide those workers with a wage of $11.73 an hour plus tips. Over 600,000 Michiganders will see a raise as a result of this increase.
“Had Republicans not gutted the laws changed by the ballot initiative, Michigan workers would have steadily gained wages instead of years of waiting,” said Teófilo Reyes, chief program officer for Restaurant Opportunities Centers United. “Michigan workers are looking forward to this overdue increase, and expect that the change of power in Lansing will mean no more delays to sensible worker compensation measures.”
Seven states require all employers to pay the full minimum wage with tips on top. While the COVID-19 pandemic affected the restaurant industry, the industry has recovered to its pre-pandemic employment levels by raising wages to attract workers, and currently pays on average $14.22 per hour. An increase to the minimum wage will help the industry grow and attract new workers.
“Tips should be meant as a bonus, not the basis of a worker’s wage,” said Jennifer Han, manager at Field & Fire Bakery & Café. “In the states that provide living wages to hourly staff, poverty is lower, restaurant job growth rates and small business restaurant growth rates are higher, and tipping is the same or higher than everywhere else. We’re looking forward to 2023 when the will of the people and justice for Michigan workers will finally be served.”
A new report recently released by the National Employment Law Project shows the Fight for $15 states reduced the racial wealth gap, increased union membership and pay and had positive contributions to the overall economy in their states.
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Mothering Justice is a National grassroots policy advocacy organization, based in Michigan, that provides mothers of color in America with the resources and tools to use their power to make equitable changes in policy. They are dedicated to improving the quality of life for families in America by empowering mothers of color to take action on American policy on behalf of themselves and their families.
Founded in 2008, ROC Michigan is the state’s oldest and largest restaurant workers-led organization that works to improve restaurant workers’ lives by building worker power and uniting workers of various backgrounds around shared goals and values.
