Legislation is expected later this week that would end sub-minimum wages in Illinois, starting as early as next year.
The upgraded pay would mean those receiving the state tipped wage of $8.40 would earn the state minimum wage of $15 starting Jan. 1, 2025. It follows the city of Chicago, where workers receive the minimum wage of $15.80 plus tips, and seven other states that require full minimum wage.
Lawmakers and advocates with One Fair Wage, a national advocacy group pushing for all workers to receive at least minimum wage, gathered outside the Lincoln Statue Tuesday to champion the legislation. Saru Jayaraman, OFW president and co-founder, said tipped wages were rooted in the emancipation era when businesses were trying to pay Black workers essentially nothing.
“In Europe, tipping was always an extra bonus on top of a wage,” she said. “In the United States, it was mutated into a replacement for wages as a way to allow restaurants and railroads to hire Black people for free.”
Leading the legislation will be state Rep. Lisa Hernandez, D-Cicero, and Sen. Lakeisha Collins, D-Chicago, who say the bill will help businesses hire new workers.