HELENA – Restaurant owners say they are suffering following several increases in the state minimum wage — and want to undo parts of a 2006 ballot initiative.
They are asking the Legislature to let a server’s tip income count toward part of the minimum wage. The plan would essentially freeze the minimum wage at $6.90 for tipped employees, and tips would count toward any minimum wage above that.
Another proposal would remove the state’s automatic inflationary increases in the minimum wage.
The state minimum wage is scheduled to rise again in July to $7.25 to match the federal minimum wage, and to about $7.50 in 2010 with the state inflationary hike.
Opponents, including restaurant servers, say it is not fair to have their tips count toward the base wage and unfair to restaurant customers who think the tips are recognition for a good job.