New York’s Tipped Minimum Wage Debate Reaches a Critical Mass

Today, New York City hosts the last public hearing in a months-long debate that's been simmering across the state this year. Right now, in 43 states, restaurants are allowed to pay a lesser, tipped minimum wage for workers who make some of their total income in tips. In New York City, this rate is $8.65 an hour for restaurants with 11 or more employees. The general minimum wage is $13 an hour. (By the end of the year, these amounts rise to $10 and $15, respectively.) This is referred to as the tip credit. The credit is given under the assumption that tips will make up the gap between the tipped and general minimum wage, and if they do not, then the owner