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As of July 1st, Washington, D.C. has raised its minimum wage for non-tipped workers from $17.50 to $17.95 per hour—the highest in the country. But tipped workers, who were expecting their hourly base pay to increase from $10 to $12, will have to wait.
The D.C. council recently delayed that planned increase, despite it being approved by voters. The move came after pressure from restaurant and bar owners who argued the wage hike could hurt small businesses.
This decision has sparked frustration among tipped employees, many of whom feel the system continues to undervalue their labor.
Kyle Stevens, a local bartender, expressed the difficulty of making ends meet.
“We’re just trying to live out here,” said Stevens. “It’s tough. And we should be paid the higher wages.”
For now, tipped workers in D.C. remain on a lower pay scale, waiting for the promised wage increase to take effect.
