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Initiative 82
Initiative 82 was a voter-approved ballot initiative in Washington, D.C., to phase out the special minimum wage for tipped employees as part of the national Fight for $15 campaign. In the November 2022 general election, D.C. voters approved Initiative 82 by a margin of 74% to 26%, though about 12% of all participating voters did not vote on the initiative. It was nearly identical to Initiative 77, a ballot measure in the 2018 primary election that was approved by D.C. voters but later overturned by the D.C. Council before it could enter into force.
Initiative 82 passed its 30-day legislative review period and became law on February 23, 2023, however on January 17, 2023, the DC Council voted to delay the first pay increase until May 1, 2023.
On Monday, June 22, 2021, Ryan O'Leary, a former restaurant worker, submitted the legislative text for the Full Minimum Wage for Tipped Workers Amendment Act at the DC Board of Elections with the goal of the Initiative to appearing on the June 2022 Primary election ballot. On Thursday, August 26, 2021, the DC Board of Elections conducted their "subject matter" hearing and voted that the Initiative could go forward and begin the ballot access phase. On Wednesday, October 13, 2021, at the regular meeting of the DC Board of Elections, the Board approved the revised short title and summary statement, and the petition form for Initiative 82, now known as the District of Columbia Tip Credit Elimination Act of 2022.
Initiative 82 would gradually increase the tipped minimum hourly wage from the $5.05 in 2021 to at least $17.50, matching the non-tipped minimum wage in 2027. Although some DC restaurants voluntarily have stopped accepting tips and instead have begun paying their servers at or above minimum wage in the aftermath of Initiative 77, tipping would still be allowed under the new rules.
Although the DC Board of Elections approved the Initiative to appear on the primary election ballot, opponents argued that the Board committed errors in verifying signatures and filed a lawsuit in D.C. Superior Court to keep the measure off the ballot. The opponents ultimately lost their original lawsuit and appeals in early September, 2022, allowing the Initiative to appear on the general election ballot.
The campaign committee behind the Initiative was the D.C. Committee to Build A Better Restaurant Industry, which raised $461,854.65 in donations, which were mostly used for collecting sufficient signatures to appear on the ballot. The largest contributions to the campaign were from Open Society Policy Center, Dr. Bronner's Magic Soaps, and Mintwood Strategies.
The campaign committee against the initiative was called No to 82 and was run out of the K Street office of the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington. The opposition campaign received $685,622.70 in contributions from the National Restaurant Association, Darden Restaurants, Starr Restaurants, Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises, Brinker International, Farmers Restaurant Group, as well as other trade groups, and a number of restaurants located in DC.
Although Initiative 77 was overruled by the council, the Washington City Paper reported that, due to changes in membership, a majority of members said they would not vote to overturn it, so "Initiative 82 looks safe should voters approve it in November". However, before the Initiative completed its congressional review period, the DC Council voted to delay the first pay raise until May 1, 2023.
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Initiative 82
Initiative 82 was a voter-approved ballot initiative in Washington, D.C., to phase out the special minimum wage for tipped employees as part of the national Fight for $15 campaign. In the November 2022 general election, D.C. voters approved Initiative 82 by a margin of 74% to 26%, though about 12% of all participating voters did not vote on the initiative. It was nearly identical to Initiative 77, a ballot measure in the 2018 primary election that was approved by D.C. voters but later overturned by the D.C. Council before it could enter into force.
Initiative 82 passed its 30-day legislative review period and became law on February 23, 2023, however on January 17, 2023, the DC Council voted to delay the first pay increase until May 1, 2023.
On Monday, June 22, 2021, Ryan O'Leary, a former restaurant worker, submitted the legislative text for the Full Minimum Wage for Tipped Workers Amendment Act at the DC Board of Elections with the goal of the Initiative to appearing on the June 2022 Primary election ballot. On Thursday, August 26, 2021, the DC Board of Elections conducted their "subject matter" hearing and voted that the Initiative could go forward and begin the ballot access phase. On Wednesday, October 13, 2021, at the regular meeting of the DC Board of Elections, the Board approved the revised short title and summary statement, and the petition form for Initiative 82, now known as the District of Columbia Tip Credit Elimination Act of 2022.
Initiative 82 would gradually increase the tipped minimum hourly wage from the $5.05 in 2021 to at least $17.50, matching the non-tipped minimum wage in 2027. Although some DC restaurants voluntarily have stopped accepting tips and instead have begun paying their servers at or above minimum wage in the aftermath of Initiative 77, tipping would still be allowed under the new rules.
Although the DC Board of Elections approved the Initiative to appear on the primary election ballot, opponents argued that the Board committed errors in verifying signatures and filed a lawsuit in D.C. Superior Court to keep the measure off the ballot. The opponents ultimately lost their original lawsuit and appeals in early September, 2022, allowing the Initiative to appear on the general election ballot.
The campaign committee behind the Initiative was the D.C. Committee to Build A Better Restaurant Industry, which raised $461,854.65 in donations, which were mostly used for collecting sufficient signatures to appear on the ballot. The largest contributions to the campaign were from Open Society Policy Center, Dr. Bronner's Magic Soaps, and Mintwood Strategies.
The campaign committee against the initiative was called No to 82 and was run out of the K Street office of the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington. The opposition campaign received $685,622.70 in contributions from the National Restaurant Association, Darden Restaurants, Starr Restaurants, Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises, Brinker International, Farmers Restaurant Group, as well as other trade groups, and a number of restaurants located in DC.
Although Initiative 77 was overruled by the council, the Washington City Paper reported that, due to changes in membership, a majority of members said they would not vote to overturn it, so "Initiative 82 looks safe should voters approve it in November". However, before the Initiative completed its congressional review period, the DC Council voted to delay the first pay raise until May 1, 2023.