FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Saturday, August 10, 2024
MEDIA CONTACT:
Bethany Khan: bkhan@culinaryunion226.org ▪ (702) 387-7088
STATEMENT by Culinary Union Secretary-Treasurer Ted Pappageorge regarding Vice-President Kamala Harris' commitment to end taxes on tips:
Vice-President Kamala Harris acknowledged the hard working men and women of the hospitality industry and committed tonight in Las Vegas to raise the minimum wage across the country and fight to end taxes on tips once elected as the next President of the United States of America.
Culinary Union continues to urge elected leaders in Nevada - including city council members, state legislators, county commissioners, and federal representatives - to join Vice-President Kamala Harris and Governor Tim Walz, Senators Catherine Cortez Masto and Jacky Rosen, and Congressional Representatives Steven Horsford and Susie Lee in supporting efforts to raise the minimum wage across the country and to ensure that there are no taxes on tips for service and hospitality workers.
As the largest organization of working women in Nevada, the chance to elect the first woman president of the USA is both energizing and historic and we are ready to make history together. The path to victory runs through Nevada and the Culinary Union, and we will deliver Nevada for President Kamala Harris and Vice-President Tim Walz.
Kamala Harris to a crowd of over 12,000 supporters, including hundreds of Culinary Union members in Las Vegas:
“I know Culinary 226 is in the house! The Culinary Union as everyone in Nevada knows, they have helped lead the way in our country for workers’ rights and workers’ dignity. I have to say, for years, I’ve been so proud to work by your side…and earlier this year, right here in Vegas, we celebrated your historic contract win and it is my promise to everyone here, when I am President, we will continue our fight for working families of America, including to raise the minimum wage and eliminate taxes on tips for service and hospitality workers!”
Culinary Union calls Nevada elected officials to support the federal ban of sub-minimum wages and taxes on tips:
Nevada stands as a model where workers receive a fair minimum wage, without relying on customer tips to cover wages. Currently, 34 states maintain minimum wages above the federal standard of $7.25 (NCSL), but tipped employees in many states still earn as little as $2.13 per hour (DOL).
According to the BLS, approximately 1.1 million workers in the United States earn at or below the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour. As an example: In Massachusetts, the tipped minimum wage is $6.75 an hour while the state minimum wage is $15.00 an hour.
It is outrageous that over a million workers in this country are not guaranteed a fair minimum wage in 2024. Employers across the nation need to take responsibility for paying a real minimum wage and congress must ensure it.
Seven states (Alaska, California, Minnesota, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington) have banned the sub-minimum wage for tipped workers, ensuring that these workers receive the same minimum wage as non-tipped employees (NELP). By eliminating the sub-minimum wage, these states have taken real steps to protect tipped workers and guarantee they earn a fair wage.
It’s time for the rest of the country to follow.
Culinary Union has led the fight for over 30 years for fair taxation on tips and our union supports the ban on taxes on tips. It’s time for nationwide change to ensure that workers receive a fair wage and earn enough so that one job is enough to provide for their families.
States and territories that maintain the lowest sub-minimum wages for tipped employees: Alabama ($2.13), Georgia ($2.13), Indiana ($2.13), Kansas ($2.13), Kentucky ($2.13), Louisiana ($2.13), Mississippi ($2.13), Nebraska ($2.13), North Carolina ($2.13), Oklahoma ($2.13), Puerto Rico ($2.13), South Carolina ($2.13), Tennessee ($2.13), Texas ($2.13), Utah ($2.13), Virginia ($2.13), Wyoming ($2.13), Delaware ($2.23), West Virginia ($2.62), and Arkansas ($2.63). Source & full list: DOL
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ABOUT CULINARY UNION:
Culinary Workers Union Local 226 and Bartenders Union Local 165, Nevada affiliates of UNITE HERE, represent 60,000 workers in Las Vegas and Reno, including at most of the casino resorts on the Las Vegas Strip and in Downtown Las Vegas. UNITE HERE represents 300,000 workers in gaming, hotel, and food service industries in North America.
The Culinary Union, through the Culinary Health Fund, is one of the largest healthcare consumers in the state. The Culinary Health Fund is sponsored by the Culinary Union and Las Vegas-area employers. It provides health insurance coverage for over 145,000 Nevadans, the Culinary Union’s members, and their dependents.
The Culinary Union is Nevada’s largest Latinx/Black/AAPI/immigrant organization with members who come from 178 countries and speak over 40 different languages. We are proud to have helped over 18,000 immigrants become American citizens and new voters since 2001 through our affiliate, The Citizenship Project.
The Culinary Union has a diverse membership which is 55% women and 60% immigrants. The demographics of Culinary Union members are approximately: 54% Latinx, 18% white, 15% Asian, 12% Black, and less than 1% Indigenous Peoples.
Culinary Union members work as: Guest room attendants, cocktail and food servers, porters, bellmen, cooks, bartenders, laundry, and kitchen workers. The Culinary Union has been fighting and winning for working families in Nevada for 89 years.
CulinaryUnion226.org / @Culinary226
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