What’s at Stake in Washington’s Heated Battle Over Tipped Workers

In June, Washington, D.C. voters passed a contentious ballot initiative that would mandate the city’s tipped workers be paid a minimum wage of $15 an hour by 2026. The measure quickly became a heated referendum on how employees that live off tips—servers, bartenders, bellhops, bellboys, and other hourly workers—should be compensated, and who should compensate them. Opponents warned the measure would gut the city’s Michelin-star-studded restaurant scene; supporters argued that not all tipped workers are tipped enough to get by.

But shortly after 56 percent of D.C. residents voted in favor of the measure, the city council swooped in to propose a measure for its reversal. The still-rousing debate reached a breaking point Monday night as a hearing on Initiative 77’s repeal drew over 200 witnesses, who waited as much as 16 hours to testify before the council.