PLYMOUTH, Mass. (October18, 2024) - The Viscariello Hospitality Group (VHG) urges the public to vote NO on Question 5 on the November ballot to protect tips and keep protections in place against tip pools.
To Our South Shore Families and Customers,
As a valued member of our community, we want you to know where we stand on an important issue that could drastically affect the livelihood of servers and bartenders in Massachusetts. On the upcoming 2024 Massachusetts State Elections ballot on November 5, Question 5 proposes eliminating the tip wage and allowing tip pools. The question falsely states that there is a sub-minimum wage for food service workers in the state. This change poses a significant threat to our employees, and we need your help to stop it. Our staff are our family. We've been in business for 50 years, and many of our servers and bartenders have been with us for decades. They are who make our restaurants a part of your community. They are the ones who know your orders, celebrate your special occasions, and bring us your fundraising requests. Simply put, they are the heart of this industry. We owe them our support.
What's at stake? If Question 5 passes, the tip wage will be eliminated and replaced by a gradual increase to the rate servers are paid by employers. The fact is most servers and bartenders currently make significantly more than minimum wage with their tips. Eliminating their tips will in effect LOWER their take-home pay. Here's something important to know: Every worker in Massachusetts, including tipped employees, is already guaranteed to earn at least $15 per hour. If their combined wages and tips fall below that during any shift, the employer is legally required to make up the difference. Additionally, the ballot question eliminates protections that are in place against tip pooling, which may require waitstaff and bartenders to share their hard-earned tips with employees who don't directly interact with customers. Most tipped employees do not support this change. Many industry veterans feel this devalues the very integrity of their profession. Hospitality and service are acquired skills honed through years of hard work and real-life experience. To carve away the compensation for that and re-distribute it to others is unthinkable.
How will this affect YOU? If this law passes, seasoned professionals may leave the restaurant industry. In addition, restaurants will be forced to significantly raise menu prices or add service charges to cover increased wages, which means you'll see higher prices every time you dine out. Both of these factors could drive customers away, and the unfortunate reality is that many restaurants, especially small, independent ones that add so much to our community, won't survive. Why vote NO? This ballot question isn't coming from our local industry workers—it's being pushed by an outside activist group from California. Servers and bartenders here in Massachusetts have made it clear: the current system works. Tipped employees rely on tips for a significant portion of their income and believe this proposal will hurt, not help them. This law has been passed in California and Washington DC. The data is clear: this law hurts the restaurant industry. In California, studies show the lowest tipping rate of all states AND a 14% closure of restaurants. In Washington DC, there was a 9.5% loss of full-time staff in the first 9 months of the new policy.
We're all part of this community, and we're asking you to stand with your local restaurants and the people who work in them. Please vote NO on Question 5 to protect jobs, small businesses, and the dining experiences we all love. Thank you for your continued support of our restaurants and the local industry. We're grateful to have you by our side in this fight. To learn more about Question 5 and why we're urging a NO vote, ask your servers and bartenders where they stand. Studies, sources, and more information are available online at ProtectTips.org.
Sincerely, Viscariello Hospitality Group Mamma Mia's, Carmela's, and ThreeV Restaurants |