Restaurant workers are planning to rally Monday against a proposal by Governor Andrew Cuomo to examine the elimination of tip credits in New York.
As part of his 2018 State of the State message, Democratic Governor Andrew Cuomo announced he would direct the New York State Commissioner of Labor to hold hearings to evaluate eliminating minimum wage tip credits.
In upstate New York, the wage for food service workers is $7.50 with a $2.90 tip credit.
The governor has argued that it is unfair for workers in places like car washes and restaurants to rely on tips to balance their wages and that there are inequalities among workers that receive tips.
State Labor Commissioner Roberta Reardon, who said her department will “closely examine” tip credits, is scheduled to appear in Glens Falls on Monday.
Protesters plan to greet Reardon outside Crandall Library, where she is scheduled to deliver a regional presentation of the governor’s priorities for the year. They say eliminating tipping would substantially reduce workers’ take-home pay.
UPDATE: Labor Commissioner Roberta Reardon did not attend Monday's speech. The department said she was out sick.
