Friend Says the Assembly Majority’s Removing Tipped Wages Is Bad for Car Wash Workers
June 6, 2019
Assemblyman Christopher Friend (R,C,I-Big Flats) is concerned with the Assembly Majority’s latest fight to end tipped wages in favor of an hourly minimum wage, this time for car wash workers (A.6346-C). Tipped-wage workers are already, by law, all guaranteed a minimum wage. If their collected tips do not reach minimum wage, their employer is required to make up the difference to ensure they are being paid a fair wage. However, as many tip-wage earners have reported, their collected tips exceed the minimum wage. By eliminating a worker’s ability to earn tips, the state could indeed limit the potential of their income.
“Tipped workers have the opportunity to earn significantly more than minimum wage in a short time, but if the Majority members interfere and removes tip wages from their industry, it could prove detrimental to these workers,” said Friend, who is the Ranking Minority member of the Assembly Committee on Economic Development. “Due to a few bad actors who didn’t meet their obligation to their employees, the Legislature is going to diminish the potential earnings of all car wash workers. We have a better choice here. We can strengthen enforcement of our current laws and urge New York’s attorney general to convene a task force if the abuse is so prevalent in downstate New York.”