ABC 7: A measure that would have made major changes to how restaurant workers in Prince George’s County, Maryland, are paid was tabled by the county council on Thursday.
The bill would have pushed aside the tipped-wage credit commonly seen in the restaurant industry.
If passed, the bill would have raised the current minimum wage in Prince George’s County for those who draw their income mostly from tips from $3.63 per hour to $13 per hour within three years.
Questions raised over how restaurant workers get paid
Dueling rallies were held in Largo on Thursday as restaurant workers spoke for and against the bill.
That drew dozens of restaurant workers and leaders from the Restaurant Association of Maryland to Jasper’s in Largo, which is right around the corner from the county government building.
“This is how I was able to pay my college tuition. This is how I was able to get my first car. This is how I was able to get my first apartment,” said Pablina Kamara, a mother of three who told the crowd she’s been waiting tables for eight years.
Kamara works at Jasper’s. She led the crowd in chants of “save our tips” and said the service industry doesn’t need the proposed changes.
“Don’t let them do us like this, y’all,” she said.
Her boss at Jasper’s, Kelly O’Brien, said her servers make $22 to $47, on average, per hour right now, thanks to tips just on credit cards, and that some bartenders make as much as $60 per hour. She warned the proposed changes would lead her best workers to work in restaurants in other jurisdictions, while driving up her payroll and the cost of everyone’s meals.
“Our menu prices will raise a little bit,” said O’Brien, who said a service charge would make up the rest. “We cannot afford to pay the $15. We have 180 employees. But what we’ll do is have a 20-30% service charge.”
She said it would be necessary to cover an increase of about $1 million in payroll costs.
While those rallying against the bill wore green shirts in solidarity, those in favor of the changes being pushed by District 8 Council member Ed Burroughs wore pink as they rallied in front of the Wayne Curry Building, where county government leaders meet.
“The entire point of this bill is to put an end to poverty wages in our county … $3.63 an hour is simply unacceptable,” Burroughs told the crowd. “We’re not trying to take away tips from anybody. We want tips on top.”
Joining him at the rally was Saru Jayaraman of the group One Fair Wage, who said a similar measure in the District has helped the industry there.
Guy Fohon said he was from College Park and worked at a restaurant in Laurel, where his wages don’t measure up right now.
“I constantly depend on customers to make a living now,” he said. “I’m qualified, professional, and deserve to be paid the regular minimum wage by my employer and still earn tips.”
When asked if he expected to make more money if the bill passes, he said “that’s the reason we’re here today.”
