[Vision2020] From the legislature - minimum wage

Shirley Ringo ringoshirl at moscow.com
Fri Feb 23 11:21:29 PST 2007


Visionaries:

The Idaho House of Representatives passed legislation today that will be ineffective in raising the minimum wage.

 

First, it specifies that Idaho's minimum wage will conform to and track with the federal minimum wage.  The Fair Labor Standards Act mandates this anyway.

 

Secondly, their legislation freezes the amount a restaurant owner must pay tipped employees at $3.35.  Currently, Idaho code allows owners to pay an hourly salary that is 65% of the minimum wage, with the idea that tips will make up the difference.  If this Republican-sponsored bill moves forward, even if the minimum wage increases, the basic salary for tipped employees is frozen at $3.35.  If tips don't make up the difference between that amount and the minimum wage, the employer is supposed to do so.

 

Undoubtedly, District 6 restaurant owners are fair to their employees, and I know many of those employees make more than minimum wage after tips.  But around the state, I hear from employees who are not as fortunate.  If an employee does not make minimum wage after tips and the employer does not make up the difference, the employee must take up the issue with the employer.  If there is no resolution of the dispute, then an action may be filed with the state.  

 

Last year, only six tipped employees filed complaints.  This could be an indication that there has not been a great problem.  It could also be an indication that some employees are too intimidated to challenge their employers to this extent.

 

Apparently this is going to be our best effort this year.  It's disappointing.

 

 
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://mailman.fsr.com/pipermail/vision2020/attachments/20070223/802519b6/attachment.html 


More information about the Vision2020 mailing list