The bill to raise the minimum wage in Maryland is quickly moving along but we’ve reached a major crisis moment: The House version of the minimum wage bill leaves tipped workers behind, cutting their wages by freezing them at $3.63 per hour.

This means that those workers who earn a tipped wage (waitresses, bartenders, valets etc.) would be left out completely of the raise. And who are these tipped workers?

Two in three tipped workers are women. One in three are parents. Moms need to stand up for tipped workers now!

Right now, the Senate is considering their version of the minimum wage bill. Join me and tell Maryland Senators that they must raise the minimum wage for all Maryland workers:

http://action.momsrising.org/sign/Marylandtippedwage/

Freezing the tipped wage hurts women and it hurts moms.

Freezing the tipped wage to $3.63 per hour means that the pay raise for tipped workers will have to come entirely out of customer tips, while the employers of tipped workers will be free to keep their payrolls unchanged. This is just not a reliable way to make a living. Tipped workers need a strong base wage paid directly by their employers in order to offset the uncertainty of tipped income. It’s not fair that restaurant bosses can lobby their way out of a law that all other Maryland businesses have to abide by.

All Marylanders can benefit from all minimum wage workers getting a raise. Increased wages in Maryland would generate more than $456 million in new economic activity and would create or support 1,600 new jobs as businesses expand to meet increased consumer demand. This means more money going back into local businesses.

Join us in standing up for the workers of Maryland! Tell the Maryland Senate to raise the wage for all workers, including tipped workers: http://action.momsrising.org/sign/Marylandtippedwage/.

We need to make our voices heard loud and clear in Annapolis so please make sure to link to this blog on Facebook and Twitter.