National Restaurant Association Opposes Elimination of Tip Credit
by David Klemt
Citing a 600-percent increase in labor costs, the National Restaurant Association opposes the elimination of the tip credit.
An email sent out yesterday by NRA executive vice president of public affairs, Sean Kennedy, stated that doing away with the credit would present “an impossible challenge to restaurant owners” to remain open.
The email also opposes boosting the national minimum wage to $15 per hour.
Not every operation would see labor costs potentially skyrocket to untenable levels but wage changes could see restaurants, bars and other businesses in some states hit the cited 600-percent increase. If the majority of restaurant operators saw sales decline last month, as a previous NRA report said operators predicted, and that trend continues, the association’s standpoint could be proven right.
While the NRA continues its support for making the RESTAURANTS Act part of any new stimulus relief bill, the association has made their positions on the matter of a minimum wage hike and elimination of the tip credit clear:
“But now is not the time to insert wage changes–a hike in the minimum wage and elimination of the tip credit–to a stimulus bill. Tipped servers generally earn between $19-$25 dollars per hour, and this plan would punish these workers who use restaurant jobs to make a better life for themselves.”
The NRA appears concerned that the Biden administration’s efforts to quickly get Congress to pass a Covid-19 relief bill are short-sighted and will end up hurting tipped workers and the hospitality industry overall.
According to the message sent out yesterday, the majority of tipped workers across the country have, historically, opposed efforts to eliminate the tip credit. Per the NRA, tipped workers earn between $19 to $25 per hour when the tip credit remains intact.
Instead, the NRA prefers the next stimulus relief bill–there are currently two competing bills, one for $1.9 trillion plan and a GOP counterplan with a price tag of around $600 billion–to go with the Senate version of the RESTAURANTS Act.
If you agree with the NRA’s concerns, click here to take action.
Image: Mathieu Turle on Unsplash
