Massachusetts lawmakers sprang into action this week to keep planned initiatives for a $15 minimum wage, paid leave and a reduced sales tax off the November ballot—and it’s mostly good. The bad precursor to the “grand bargain” legislation is that it came only after the state’s Supreme Judicial Court killed a ballot question that would have raised taxes on the highest earners to fund education and transportation. That’s a major loss to the state, and what you get when a Republican governor—even one who throws decency the occasional bone as this week by saying no to sending National Guard troops to the border—is appointing judges.
But with that off the table, legislators quickly passed a $15 minimum wage, to be phased in over five years; 12 weeks of paid family leave and 20 weeks of paid medical leave; and headed off a measure lowering the sales tax (and cutting revenue significantly) with an agreement for a sales tax holiday. This is mostly good, if you can forget the loss of the millionaire’s tax. But there are some problems. In exchange for the minimum wage increase, the state will phase out a law requiring workers to get time and a half on Sundays and holidays, a major loss for many. The minimum wage for tipped workers will also only rise to 45 percent of the regular minimum wage—this in the week that Washington, D.C, voters passed one fair wage for all.
Raise Up Massachusetts, the coalition pushing the minimum wage and paid leave questions, is still considering whether to keep the minimum wage on the ballot given the weaknesses in what the state legislature passed.
● The flight attendant who came forward about stolen children on commercial airline flights is a hero among workers, and the United States needs more workers who feel able to speak up for what’s right. (Unions help with that!)
● Has a restaurant asked you to rate your service on a tablet at the end of a meal? There are some things you should know. Like that four stars may say it means “satisfied,” but your server could have their hours cut as a result of that “low” rating. Or that questions seemingly unrelated to anything the server did could affect their personal rating:
At one point, he recalled, his score was dinged because a customer wanted Fireball Cinnamon Whisky, which Chili’s doesn’t serve.
“A guest could order a medium-rare burger, and if it's cooked medium, they could rate me a four,” said Mathew. “That's literally not my job. I'm not a cook. I'm a server.” Brittany, who serves at a Chili’s in the Midwest, meanwhile, said customers have given her low Ziosk ratings because of problems with the plumbing in her restaurant. “It ... cost me a few shifts, so that was less money,” she said. “I have three kids, so I need all the money I can get.”
● Not a huge surprise (or any surprise at all), but important to know: Workers of color are far more likely to be paid poverty wages than white workers.
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● How West Virginia activists organized a solidarity fund for the uprising:
“These folks were on the picket line and supporting the strike, but stood to not be able to pay their rent or heating bill,” said Stephen Smith of the West Virginia Working Families Party.
So he and a few other local activists set up an online appeal to help cover lost wages. Seven thousand people from all over the country gave an average of $48 apiece, totaling $332,945.
● Workplace deaths are rising. Trump-era budget cuts could make it worse.
● Yay! D.C. voters approve initiative raising minimum wage for tipped workers to $15. But everyone should know how that campaign was heavily astroturfed by the restaurant industry, because it’s not the last time we’re going to see that.