HYANNIS – Question 5 on this year’s ballot, which would raise minimum wage for tipped workers over the next 5 years, is proving controversial among regional leaders.
First Plymouth District State Rep. Mathew Muratore, who is also running for Plymouth and Barnstable State Senate, has opposed the measure, saying it could increase costs for restaurants and damage tip opportunities for seasonal workers.
“Our restaurants are the backbone of our tourism economy, and if Question 5 were to pass, it would decimate so many local restaurants who already rely on seasonal foot traffic,” Muratore said after a recent roundtable with restaurant owners and workers.
“That’s why today, I’m announcing that I am standing with nearly every restaurant across our district and voting NO on Question 5. It threatens the wages of seasonal workers, it would put many servers and bartenders out of a job, and it would close the doors of so many beloved institutions in our community,” he continued.
The Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce has likewise urged ‘no,’ though added the question is well-intentioned. Fifth Barnstable State Representatives Steven Xiarhos has also expressed opposition.
Meanwhile, Hillary Clinton and worker-advocacy group One Fair Wage urge a ‘yes,’ saying the subminimum wage system disproportionately affects women, who make up the majority of the tipped workforce.
“I’m Hillary Rodham Clinton, and I’m asking you to vote yes on Question 5 in Massachusetts this November. You know, I had a short experience living on tips when I was a law school student, but there are people in Massachusetts who have lived on tips for decades. Tipped workers are mostly women, and they’re working hard not to make a living, but to overcome the harassment and economic barriers that stand in their way. Women have a lot on the line in this election,” Clinton said in her endorsement video.
“Vice President Harris has endorsed requiring restaurants to pay the full minimum wage with tips on top, while former President Trump has tried to take tips away from workers. So please, stand with working women, stand with Vice President Harris and all service workers—vote yes on November 5 on Question 5.”
It would be a big shake up for the massive restaurant industry for the destination-focused Cape Cod economy.
About Grady Culhane
