The minimum for tipped workers in Georgia has been set at $2.13 an hour since 1991.
Cindia Cameron, co-chairwoman of the coalition, said the group has been working for the past five years to get the minimum increased in Georgia. She said the group simply has not had the political muscle to bring the tipped worker up and added that many Georgians don’t realize the disparity between the federal minimum wage of $7.25 and the minimum for tipped workers.
State Rep. Doug McKillip, D-Athens, has introduced House Bill 290 to raise the tip credit in Georgia to 50 percent of whatever the federal minimum wage is. If passed, that would bring the guaranteed hourly wage to approximately $3.63 in Georgia.
Bill Adams, manager at Provino’s, 288 Shorter Ave., said his shop follows the traditional method of paying the minimum and then matching the $7.25 an hour figure if tips don’t bring the servers wage to that level. “It’s very, very rare that that happens because our servers do very well,” said Adams.
Piero Barba, owner of LaScala, 413 Broad St., said he pays his wait staff more than $2.13 to begin with. “The type of service is more demanding than just throwing food down on the table,” Barba said. He guessed that most of his wait staff earns $20 to $25 an hour on an average night.
Cameron said studies have shown the majority of tipped workers are adult women who have to support children and said the poverty rate among tipped employees is three times higher than the general population.
A statewide “Fair Eats” campaign to raise awareness of the wages for tipped employees will kick off this Saturday to coincide with Valentine’s Day.
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