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A Valentine's Day Story: $2.13 an Hour

By Shakei Haynes
Tip image, Paul Matthew Photography / Shutterstock.com
Tip image, Paul Matthew Photography / Shutterstock.com
Feb 24, 2014
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There have been recent talks about increasing the federal minimum wage. However, there is a group of waged workers that is often overlooked in this debate: tipped workers. They are subject to the “tipped minimum wage” — $2.13 an hour. In fact, it has been 22 years since Congress raised the “tipped minimum wage.” According to federal laws, if a waitress or waiter makes more than $30 a month in tips, they can be subject to these wages. Out of the 50 states, 18 of these states pay servers $2.13 an hour, 22 of these states pay servers less than $3.00 an hour, and only seven pay them the federal minimum wage. Due to these unfair wages, it is estimated that servers are three times as likely to live in poverty.

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Tip image, Paul Matthew Photography / Shutterstock.com
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