Washington, DC – DC Council vote on revised minimum wage bill

A bill to increase the minimum wage to $15 in Washington D.C. has been revised to have less of an impact on the city’s restaurants. A D.C. Council committee is scheduled to vote on the bill Wednesday. If passed, the bill would raise the minimum wage for workers who rely on tips to $5.55 and hour, which is double the current minimum wage for tipped workers. Initially, Mayor Muriel Bowser’s administration had proposed a $7.50 an hour wage for tipped workers, but restaurant industry representatives said a minimum wage that high would harm their businesses and lead to servers and bartenders making less money. As a compromise, Democratic Council member Vincent Orange drafted the revised bill.