Research on the Tipped Minimum Wage
Survey research conducted in December 2019 by Lake Research Partners in New York State reveals that restaurant workers overwhelmingly support increasing the tipped minimum wage, despite opposition messaging. The findings show strong initial support, engagement in debates, and influence on voting preferences among workers.
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Research on the Tipped Minimum Wage Findings From Survey Research of Restaurant Workers in New York State. December 2019 Lake Research Partners Celinda Lake David Mermin LakeResearch.com Washington, DC | Berkeley, CA | New York, NY LakeResearch.com 202.776.9066 1
Methodology Lake Research Partners designed and administered this research, which was conducted online from November 26 December 8, 2019. The survey reached a total of 400 restaurant workers in New York state. Data were weighted slightly by gender, region, age, race, and education level, to reflect the likely composition of restaurant workers. The margin of error for the base sample is +/-4.9%. 2
Summary of Key Findings Restaurant workers New York are supportive of raising the tipped minimum wage for workers, even in the face of strong opposition messaging. 82% of workers support raising the tipped minimum wage on an initial ask. While the opposition s messaging claiming that the proposal will cause restaurants to eliminate the tip system entirely and will lead to lower incomes for workers has some power, workers remain supportive of the proposal throughout the survey. After an engaged debate in which workers hear balanced arguments from both sides, 79% remain in support. After full messaging for and against the measure, support lands at 77%. This is a voting issue for restaurant workers. Nearly seven in ten workers (68%) say they would be more likely to support a candidate who was proposing to raise the tipped minimum wage, with over a third (36%) saying they would be much more likely to support such a candidate. 3
Support for raising the tipped minimum wage starts out high (82% favor) in New York with high intensity (58% strongly favor). Raising the Tipped Minimum Wage Initial Ballot 82 58 14 Favor Oppose 4 Question Text: As you may know, there is currently a proposal in a number of states to increase the minimum wage for tipped workers. Most restaurant workers currently are paid lower than the full minimum wage, with the difference made up by tips or by their employer. This proposal would [require employers to pay tipped workers the full minimum wage while they retain their tips on top]/[raise the minimum wage for tipped workers to the full minimum wage while they retain tips on top].
After an engaged debate in which workers hear arguments from both sides, including the opposition argument favored by the National Restaurant Association claiming that a tipped minimum wage will lower earnings, nearly four-fifths of workers remain in favor. Raising the Tipped Minimum Engaged Debate 79 42 13 Favor Oppose 5 Question Text: Sometimes in a survey like this, people change their minds. There is currently a proposal in a number of states to increase the minimum wage for tipped workers to the full minimum wage with tips on top. Do you favor or oppose this proposal, or are you not sure?
Text of Engaged Debate [PRO] Seven states, including California and Minnesota, require all employers to pay the full minimum wage with tips on top. In these states, customers still tip the same or better, and restaurants are thriving with higher sales and better-paid employees. Here in New York, tipped workers just don t make enough money and are struggling to make ends meet, unsure of when they ll have to pick up extra shifts to pay rent. Providing tipped workers with a full minimum wage with tips on top is critical to our future. [ANTI] If restaurants are forced to raise wages, they will also be forced to raise prices. That ll lead to fewer customers, who will stop tipping, causing take home pay for restaurant workers to drop. Servers and bartenders will end up making just the minimum wage, which will likely be less than their current earnings per hour. Servers and bartenders work hard for their tips and Americans are used to paying them. Turning servers and bartenders into regular minimum-wage workers will hurt their incomes. 6
After full messaging on both sides, support drops only two more points, remaining above three-quarters. Intensity also holds. Raising the Tipped Minimum Wage Initial Ballot 77 17 41 Favor Oppose 7 Question Text: Sometimes in a survey like this, people change their minds. Once again, there is currently a proposal in a number of states to increase the minimum wage for tipped workers. Most restaurant workers currently are paid lower than the full minimum wage, with the difference made up by tips or by their employer. This proposal would [require employers to pay tipped workers the full minimum wage while they retain their tips on top]/[raise the minimum wage for tipped workers to the full minimum wage while they retain tips on top].
Washington, DC | Berkeley, CA | New York, NY LakeResearch.com 202.776.9066 Celinda Lake clake@lakeresearch.com David Mermin dmermin@lakeresearch.com Daniel Gotoff dgotoff@lakeresearch.com 8
