Fair Wage Coalition pushes for increase tip worker pay, citing increase risk for workers of sexual harrasement

MARYLAND- April is National Sexual Assault Awareness Month and one group is highlighting how tipped workers are more vulnerable to poor workplace conditions.

One Fair Wage Maryland says, tipped workers in the restaurant industry suffer more poor treatment from customers and management, due to being reliant on tips to make ends meet.

The group says despite failing on the state level, they are calling for municipalities to raise the minimum wage for tipped workers, citing 7 other states that saw a decline in those incidents, once the action was taken.

“When you can count on your wage from your boss like every other worker in every other industry you are not completely reliant on tips in fact states like California that have implemented have far higher tips on average than Maryland,” said President of One Fair Wage Saru Jayaraman.

The group says they are modeling their efforts on the successful minimum wage adoption in D.C. with their eyes on Ocean City and Baltimore to adopt the change through local government.