Question 5 Could 'Tip' The Scales. Is It Necessary? - Editorial
Discussion around Massachusetts’ Ballot Question 5 has ramped up as the general election draws nearer, and we are glad to see it. Democracy, as the saying goes, dies in darkness, and there is no better antithesis to darkness than robust, public conversation and exchange of opinions and ideas across divides. And this topic in particular seems to be a hot one right now.
This week’s edition features an article that amplifies a number of different voices and opinions on the issue. One thing that became clear to us through our reporting, though, was that supporters for the ballot measure—especially within the restaurant industry—seem to be few and far between.
Both sides of the issue have made valid, reasonable arguments, but the outspokenness of individuals actively working a classic tipped employee job, like serving or bartending, is quite striking. We heard passing word about a group of tipped employees featured on the news for demonstrating to advocate for a “Yes on 5” vote, but we did not see the clip ourselves. Most of the support we have seen comes from individuals involved with organizations that are behind the ballot measure, not from tipped workers themselves.
The outcry from restaurant industry workers feels significant. Who better to speak on the fate of a tipped employee’s paycheck than those employees? The COVID-19 pandemic did a number on the restaurant industry, that is true; the rebound we have seen, though, especially in popular areas like Cape Cod, has helped rebalance the scales. The system, according to a vast number of those staffing it, is not as broken as those on the outside perceive it to be and we, as one of the sources our reporter spoke to for the article put it, can’t understand what all the meddling is about.
Tipping culture is already in a precarious spot, with tipping being expected for literally every service (and even some non-service-related tasks). For years now, there have been gripes about the good old iPad-flip, bringing you face-to-face with tipping options of 20, 25, or 30 percent for a coffee order that took less seconds than that to verbally place. It can be overwhelming for consumers, and has evidently caused a number of individuals to become jaded toward the entire tipping concept.
Many people we spoke to mused that approval of this ballot measure would only further disincentivize consumers to tip good service and, with years of experience in such an industry, this editor would have to agree. Swaths of people out there already regard tipping culture with disdain, so we wonder: why throw a monkey wrench in the works?
On both sides of the aisle, there are compelling points. A former server and current organizer for the organization behind the measure, One Fair Wage, has said that the predictability of a weekly paycheck would make “all the difference in the world.” We cannot argue with that; the benefits of a stable income are undeniable.
What else is undeniable, however, is current state law: which mandates that restaurants must pay their workers $6.75 an hour at minimum, as long as total earnings plus tips equals $15 an hour or more. Many tipped employees make this threshold; when earnings plus tips does not equate to state minimum wage, restaurants are required to bridge the gap and pay the difference.
Although the “No on 5” camp appears to be more vocal than the “Yes” side, recent polls show that it is shaping up to be a close contest. Arguments, as we’ve said, are valid on both sides, and we look forward to seeing how the commonwealth and the Cape vote on this measure come election day.