A Bipartisan Majority of New York Voters Support a Full Minimum Wage for Tipped Workers
By Bella Kumar
The service sector is one of the largest and fastest growing industries in New York, but also among the lowest paying. The minimum wage for tipped workers in New York is just two-thirds of the standard minimum wage. This means service workers rely heavily on tips to supplement their income. The subminimum wage, combined with the pandemic, has caused restaurant and other service workers to leave the industry in droves.
New polling from One Fair Wage and Data for Progress finds that voters, across party lines, support a full minimum wage for tipped workers in New York by a +61-point margin. This includes Democrats by a +79-point margin, Independents by a +54-point margin, and Republicans by a +34-point margin.
Voters across the state support paying tipped workers a full minimum wage in addition to tips. Long Island voters backed the proposal by a +71-point margin, Mid-Hudson voters by a +55-point margin, New York City voters by a +70-point margin, and Western New York voters by a +67-point margin.
Voters agree that restaurant and tipped workers should not be excluded from receiving a fair wage. It is incredibly important, especially during a pandemic, to demand fair compensation and dignity in labor.
Bella Kumar (@bellakkumar) is a communications intern at Data for Progress.