LANSING, Mich. (WZMQ) – Activists spoke with state lawmakers today, urging them to raise the state’s minimum wage to a universal $15 an hour. One Fair Wage hosted a rally at the Capitol today, displaying 600 pink aprons. Each one represented a thousand signatures they collected for a petition that was blocked from this fall’s ballot.
The crowd was small, leaving opponents of the movement saying there’s a lack of support from actual tipped wage workers. John Sellek, spokesperson for Save MI Tips said he’s talked with workers who aren’t quite on board with the change
“Michigan servers and bartenders did not ask One Fair Wage to drop into Michigan with millions in dark money trying to blow up the tipping system that earns them around $28 per hour,” Selleck said. “The fact that a handful of One Fair Wage staffers said they flew into Michigan last night to stand in front of the Capitol speaking to a rally with literally no attendees exposes their complete lack of support.”
The group of advocates still spoke about their excitement ahead of a state supreme court decision the group expects could overturn a 2018 law and raise the minimum wage. One Fair Wage’s President, Saru Jayaraman said that with Juneteenth celebrations happening just yesterday, they are urging lawmakers to support the change that would eliminate tipped wages, a system that was introduced in the U.S. post-emancipation to underpay mostly black female workers.
“We are super, super excited,” Jayaraman said. “Michigan is going to be the first state east of the Mississippi to end a legacy of slavery that is the sub-minimum wage for tipped workers.
The group’s president said they expect to hear that state supreme court decision before the end of the month.
