[Vision2020] Sub-minimum wage

[Tom Hansen]

Not only that, Bev -

Could you imagine a battered wife (with a child) trying to make a living as
a waitress where her employer is permitted (as you suggest) to "write off" a
percentage of her hourly wage as "tips", thus reducing her income to $3.35
per hour of taxable income.

All this while she drops her child off at a local day care center whose
employees are not required to undergo background criminal checks.  Then
returning home after putting in as many hours as she possibly can to her
rent-controlled apartment hoping that her abusive ex-husband will not call
to harass her or stop by to abuse her (since our state legislature will not
permit her to maintain an anonymous address.

Happy Thanksgiving, Idaho.

Seeya round town, Moscow.

Tom Hansen
Moscow, Idaho

"We're a town of about 23,000 with 10,000 college students. The college
students are not very active in local elections (thank goodness!)."

- Dale Courtney (March 28, 2007)

-----Original Message-----
From: vision2020-bounces at moscow.com [mailto:vision2020-bounces at moscow.com]
On Behalf Of Bev Bafus
Sent: Wednesday, October 24, 2007 8:19 PM
To: vision2020 at moscow.com
Subject: [Vision2020] Sub-minimum wage

So, I'll get on my current soapbox.

Do any of our local legislators want to attack the problem of the
sub-minimum wage?

It is a crime that some companies can get away with paying their employees
$3.35 an hour, when across the border in Washington the minimum wage is
$7.98.  Washington does not allow tip-credit, or sub-minimum wage.

And yes, the sub-minimum, or tip-credited wage is only allowed if the
employee makes tips.  But the ways many of these companies get around the
tip reporting is downright criminal.

Also, if I get good service in a restaurant, I'd like to reward the
employee, not feel like I am required to pay their wage.

There are some companies who broaden the definition of who is eligible for
sub-minimum, saying that ALL their employees get tips, when only a small
percentage do.  Then that percentage has to share the tips with all the
employees.

I'm sure that I'll be ruffling the feathers of some folks in the restaurant
business - but after two years of watching my kids struggle on the
sub-minimum, I've about had it.

Thanks for letting me vent!

Bev


=======================================================
 List services made available by First Step Internet, 
 serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994.   
               http://www.fsr.net                       
          mailto:Vision2020 at moscow.com
=======================================================