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Divided D.C. Council Votes to Pause Tipped Wage Increase, Full Repeal Remains Uncertain
- The D.C. Council voted 8-4 on Tuesday, June 3, 2025, to pause the $2 increase in the tipped minimum wage set to take effect July 1 under Initiative 82.
- This pause followed economic concerns from restaurant owners and officials, including Mayor Muriel Bowser, who support repealing or suspending the wage increase amid rising labor costs and business closures.
- Initiative 82, passed by nearly 75% of voters in 2022, aimed to raise tipped worker wages from $10 to $12 in 2025 and eventually to $17.50 by 2027, affecting restaurant and hospitality employees.
- Opponents of the wage increase pause, including labor organizations like One Fair Wage, argue that halting the wage hikes during a time of financial hardship would negatively impact workers, with Saru Jayaraman emphasizing that such a move could cause significant harm amid the ongoing affordability crisis.
- The pause provides temporary clarity for businesses while local and federal debates, including the recently passed No Tax on Tips Act offering moderate tax relief to tipped workers, continue to shape wage and tax policies.
25 Articles
25 Articles
DC Council pauses next step in Initiative 82 minimum wage increase
The Council of the District of Columbia voted 8-4 on Tuesday to pause the next scheduled wage increase for tipped workers, temporarily halting the implementation of Initiative 82. The initiative, overwhelmingly approved by 74% of voters in 2022, aims to…
D.C. Council votes to pause tipped wage increase until October
The D.C. Council moved to pause a planned increase in the tipped minimum wage as Mayor Muriel Bowser and the District's restaurant industry both argue to repeal outright a law they say is hampering the city's dining scene.
White-Out Controversy Clouds Future of Initiative 83
The District's new council members are debating whether to fund a voter-approved ballot initiative that would implement ranked-choice voting and allow non-party voters to vote in primary elections, while the D.C. Democratic Party is calling for increased oversight on ballot initiatives. The post White-Out Controversy Clouds Future of Initiative 83 appeared first on The Washington Informer.
In an emergency vote on Tuesday, the DC Council voted to pause the increase in the minimum wage for people with tips in the city, which would have entered into force on July 1. Initiative 82 was approved by an overwhelming majority of DC voters in 2022 and means raising the minimum wage for workers receiving tips (such as restaurant employees or hairdressers) from $10 to $12 in July 2025 to $17.50 in 2027.
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