GOP Chairman's Anger Misdirected at Workers, Not Politicians Who Voted Against Them
A recent letter to the editor highlights a glaring misdirection in the anger of the GOP Santa Cruz County chairman. The chairman is upset with California Governor Newsom and Democrats over a bill that requires employers to pay tipped workers their full state minimum wage, rather than relying on voluntary tips.
However, the chairman's ire would be better directed at his fellow Republicans who voted against two previous minimum wage bills. This is because the tip credit system has been widely criticized for perpetuating poverty among low-wage workers and taking advantage of states like Alabama, Georgia, and Texas that have lower federal minimum wages for tipped employees.
In fact, California already requires employers to pay tipped workers their full state minimum wage, while federal law sets a base wage of just $2.13 an hour. This creates a significant pay gap between tipped and non-tipped workers in states with higher federal minimum wages.
The GOP chairman's anger at Governor Newsom and Democrats is understandable, but it should be directed at the politicians who voted against increasing the minimum wage for low-wage workers. It's time to hold them accountable for their actions and advocate for policies that benefit all workers, not just those who rely on tips.
A recent letter to the editor highlights a glaring misdirection in the anger of the GOP Santa Cruz County chairman. The chairman is upset with California Governor Newsom and Democrats over a bill that requires employers to pay tipped workers their full state minimum wage, rather than relying on voluntary tips.
However, the chairman's ire would be better directed at his fellow Republicans who voted against two previous minimum wage bills. This is because the tip credit system has been widely criticized for perpetuating poverty among low-wage workers and taking advantage of states like Alabama, Georgia, and Texas that have lower federal minimum wages for tipped employees.
In fact, California already requires employers to pay tipped workers their full state minimum wage, while federal law sets a base wage of just $2.13 an hour. This creates a significant pay gap between tipped and non-tipped workers in states with higher federal minimum wages.
The GOP chairman's anger at Governor Newsom and Democrats is understandable, but it should be directed at the politicians who voted against increasing the minimum wage for low-wage workers. It's time to hold them accountable for their actions and advocate for policies that benefit all workers, not just those who rely on tips.