DC keeps tip credit, but passes $15 wage

tip dish large

The District of Columbia has followed the leads of California and New York in passing a bill that will raise the minimum wage to $15.

The local restaurant industry beat back an attempt to disallow a tip credit for servers, but lawmakers succeeded in raising the minimum for tipped employees to $5, with subsequent changes indexed to the rate of inflation.

The tip credit wage is currently at $2.77, and the standard minimum wage is $10.50. The level will rise to $15 on 2020.

Legislators passed the bill as expected today. Mayor Muriel Bowser, a champion of the measure, said she will sign it into law immediately.

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