Food News

Restaurants, readers react to voters’ rejection of Question 5

Had the ballot question passed, it would have eliminated the tipped minimum wage for servers and bartenders in Massachusetts.

Voters rejected Question 5, which would have eliminated the tipped minimum wage. Lane Turner/Globe Staff

November 7, 2024

5 minutes to read

The defeat of Question 5, which sought to eliminate the tipped minimum wage of $6.75, marked a win for the state’s restaurant association, restaurant owners, and many employees who opposed the measure.

The ballot question, brought to voters by the organization One Fair Wage, would have set the pay of tipped employees like servers and bartenders to the standard minimum wage of $15 an hour. They would have still been allowed to collect tips on top of the base rate, and the proposal also gave restaurants the option to pool tips that could go to kitchen staff.

The ballot question was unpopular with the Massachusetts Restaurant Association, one of the main groups behind the Committee to Protect Tips campaign. The Mass Restaurants United coalition and restaurant owners like Jamie Bissonnette, owners of Trina’s Starlite Lounge, the Avenue Pub owner, and many more argued such a change in the way tipped workers were paid would have a negative impact on small business owners and would actually result in tipped workers getting paid less.

Those who supported the change, which included labor activists, some restaurant workers, the Massachusetts Attorney General, said it would put an end to a system that often invites wage theft, sexual harassment, and low pay.

One Fair Wage held their watch party ahead of the results on Tuesday evening at Tiki Rock in Boston, where a group of about 20 people gathered for dinner and drinks. A former server from Western Massachusetts was there and said if the measure didn’t pass, “We’re not going to start fighting.” For example, it took two elections for the measure to finally pass in Washington, D.C.

But across town, at Trina’s Starlite Lounge, where a sign out front asked for residents to vote no on the measure, staff cheered when the results came in. Bartenders took shots who then proudly shouted “no to question 5!”

On Wednesday restaurant owners and others in the industry took to social media to celebrate the majority of voters saying no to Question 5, with 64% of the votes according to the Associated Press.

When we asked readers for their takes following the election, the majority of the nearly 150 respondents also agreed with the end results.

Here are the reactions we’ve seen so far to the rejection of Question 5.

Restaurant reactions

“MRU stands with bartenders, servers and independent restaurants in the journey to keep outside organizations from dictating how our industry works. We on the ground know what has worked for us and continues to work for us. MRU will continue to be a voice for restaurant workers and continue to advocate and educate for independent restaurants in the Commonwealth. Thank you to our servers, bartenders and the restaurant community for standing together and uniting to use our voices for the industry,” said Mass. Restaurants United.

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“Thanks for voting NO to #5,” Barra shared on Instagram. “Apart from that, we’re speechless.”

“Thank you for voting NO on QUESTION 5,” Jen Royle’s Table posted on Instagram. “The restaurant industry appreciates YOU.”

Reader reactions

“I am a bartender, and every single server/bartender I know was against this measure,” said Anthony C. from Stoughton.

“I’m a server, and this was a terrible idea. Don’t try to fix what’s not broken,” said George L. from Dorchester.

“I happily voted No on 5. Service industry employees universally rejected this question that was thrown upon them, and shared their opinions with their loyal customers. The right answer was provided,” said Ben W. from Wenham.

“Until the custom of tipping goes away, a law like this will never benefit the workers” said Norm from Boston.

“The whole tipping thing is out of control. Good service gets good tips,” said Paul J. from Lunenburg.

“By raising the minimum wage requirement, countless small, family-owned bars and restaurants would not survive. Due to the lackluster economy, most are just barely holding on now,” said E.C. from Foxborough.

“Literally every bar/restaurant worker was against this. They openly opposed it everywhere I went, and if it passed, it would have ruined the restaurant industry, resulting in worse service and less workers. It is good it was defeated,” said William C. from Shrewsbury.

“Servers and bartenders seemed overwhelmingly against the ballot measure. I don’t work in the industry, so it seemed only right to vote according to what those in it wanted,” said Chelsea from Watertown.

“Tipping culture needs to stop. Question 5 was a great way to begin a path to accomplishing that. It seems employers had either brainwashed tipped workers into thinking it was an evil ballot measure, or these employees are comfortable with continuing to levee the bulk of their wages directly onto the customer while the prices of meals rise, resulting in their employer increasing their margins,” said Miles from Billerica.

“The minimum wage should be the same for everyone,” said Sam from Roxbury.

“While there might have been short-term negative impacts on service workers (because those with no power are always the ones paying the price), I am very uncomfortable living in a world where we have made it legally acceptable to create an under-class because the National Restaurant Association is protecting the owners. If you can’t afford to pay people, then you shouldn’t be in business and I’m concerned about what other corners you might be cutting. And if you are a service worker concerned about losing income, you are a minority. While there may be initial pains, I will always reward good service, but having to tip 35% to feel like I adequately paid for my meal and for the service is getting out of control,” said Michael from Quincy.

“I would have loved to see servers get paid more than a $2 tip on a slow night. America, and now Massachusetts, in my eyes is a sad joke,” said Eric P. from Seekonk.

“I know firsthand how the sub-minimum wage puts [workers at risk of exploitation by employers and harassment from customers,” said Grace from Gill.

“I think that the increase was well planned and should have passed. It doesn’t make sense to have waiters depend on tips. I’m not sure why people would vote to protect one industry like Uber drivers but not waiters who don’t get to sit down during their shifts,” said Michelle from Brookline.

“I’m tired of getting asked for a tip everywhere. I go and pick up my pizza, and I’m getting guilted into a tip. The guy at the vape store has a tip option on his credit card machine. Where does it end, and does that mean I should just stick a tip cup out at my desk?” said Ben C. from Marshfield.