Policy
With about 75 percent of precincts reporting, 64 percent of Massachusetts voters voted against raising the minimum wage for tipped workers.
Ricardo Almeida, bartender at Fajitas & ‘Ritas earlier this year. Erin Clark/Globe Staff
Restaurant owners and some tipped workers rallied to reject Question 5, which would have increased the minimum wage for tipped workers from $6.75 to $15 by 2029.
With about 75 percent of precincts responding, 64 percent voted against the ballot question, according to results from the Associated Press around 12:45 a.m. Wednesday.
One Fair Wage, the lead proponent of the ballot question, argued that a higher minimum wage would have allowed for a more stable income for servers and would have reduced sexual harassment, particularly for women in the service industry. They blamed the loss on misinformation and “an unprecedented influx of corporate spending.”
“This year in MA, we fought an uphill battle against millions of dollars of corporate influence, misrepresentations, and fear tactics, and we came closer than anyone thought possible,” OFW President Saru Jayaraman said in a statement. “The fight for fair wages is far from over, and we will continue to organize to ensure that every worker in Massachusetts receives the dignity and respect they deserve. »
The Committee to Protect Tips, the campaign against the ballot question, said tipped servers, bartenders and other state employees overwhelmingly opposed the measure. If Question 5 had passed, customers wouldn’t tip as much, they argued, and restaurant workers would earn less overall.
“We thank Massachusetts voters for overwhelmingly rejecting this ill-conceived issue that was pushed by an out-of-state organization without the support of the workers they claimed to represent,” the committee said in a statement.
The Massachusetts Restaurant Association and Massachusetts Restaurants United also spoke out against the proposal. They argued that restaurants are still recovering from the pandemic and inflation, and that an increased minimum wage would have shuttered businesses and raised prices overall.
MRU Treasurer Nancy Caswell, owner of Brine in Newburyport, said in a statement that tipped workers and restaurants “triumphed.”
“We keep the power in the hands of individual servers and bartenders who work tirelessly day in and day out to serve customers across the Commonwealth to the best of their abilities,” Caswell said. “And they will continue to be directly compensated for their good work because of the failure of this election issue.”
What is happening now?
Nothing. The ballot measure did not pass, so bartenders, servers and other tipped workers will see no pay adjustment next year.
Election 2024: share your reactions to the results of question 5
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