Republicans Cut Pay for Servers and Bartenders

FayeforCure · February 17, 2012, 01:05:21 PM

As always Republicans are intent on killing the little guy, even as we barely have a middle class any more.

Economic Security only for the Big Shots!

FEBRUARY 17, 2012
Bill would affect pay for servers and bartenders

Cindy Berg remembers the days when she could pay all her bills from restaurant tips.

Those days are long gone, said Berg, who has been a server for about 20 years. Tips dropped off when the economy tanked.

That's why Berg was outraged when she learned this week that Florida lawmakers are considering a bill that would knock back her current wage of $4.65 an hour to $2.13.

"That's ridiculous," said the 47-year-old, who works at an Italian restaurant in St. Pete Beach. "There was a time where as a server that was the best job you could have. â€¦ The money is just getting worse and worse and worse, every season."

http://www.tampabay.com/blogs/the-buzz-florida-politics/content/bill-would-affect-pay-servers-and-bartenders?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+tampabaycom%2Fblogs%2Fbuzz+%28The+Buzz+%7C+tampabay.com%29

mtraininjax · February 17, 2012, 01:06:59 PM

Quote"There was a time where as a server that was the best job you could have. â€¦ The money is just getting worse and worse and worse, every season."

Kids, stay in school and get an education and do something with your life!

duvaldude08 · February 17, 2012, 01:13:09 PM

WOW they barely get paid as it is! Thats Eff-ed up

FayeforCure · February 17, 2012, 01:15:22 PM

Quote from: mtraininjax on February 17, 2012, 01:06:59 PM
Quote"There was a time where as a server that was the best job you could have. â€¦ The money is just getting worse and worse and worse, every season."

Kids, stay in school and get an education and do something with your life!

Most young servers and bartender actually ARE in school, but now have to drop out of school because their pay will no longer be enough--------> hence the dumbing down of America

I really feel sorry for my daughter who is a server while she works on becoming a lawyer.

KenFSU · February 17, 2012, 01:53:41 PM

Probably not a popular opinion, but $4.65 is probably too high of a minimum wage anyway for servers who a) get tipped, and b) likely don't report 100% of those tips anyway. The woman in the article has been a server for 20 years, and for many of those years, as she said, the money was good. If she would have chosen to put even a fraction of that money aside and pursue some higher education or the acquisition of a more lucrative skill, she wouldn't be in the position she is. Actions (or in her case inactions), have consequences. It's not the government's responsiblity to protect someone who chooses to spend 20 years refilling ice tea pitchers and peddling greasy spaghetti. If that's what she loves to do, that's great, but she needs to be realistic in not expecting much in the way of lifestyle.

What she also fails to take into account is the obvious fact that if the minimum wage for servers goes down, the demand for servers will go up. Restaurants have been cutting servers hours left and right, and this change might actually allow them to give some of those hours back. She might make less money per hour, but there is a very good chance that she will have the opportunity to work more hours as a result, and reap the benefit of the extra tips those hours provide.

Servers work hard (I did it for two years myself, at roughly a $2 an hour minimum wage), but no harder than the stock boys at Publix, the gas station attendents, the ditch diggers, the cook at McDonalds, and all of the others who work for the minimum wage.

mtraininjax · February 17, 2012, 02:01:49 PM

QuoteI really feel sorry for my daughter who is a server while she works on becoming a lawyer.

so not a lawyer yet, well at least she will learn what she does not want to do. I worked for minimum wage at Prudential Bache securities for a few months, showed me what I did NOT want to do. If Americans will not work for the paltry wages, I am sure undocumenteds will do the work. Alabama's law works so well, NOT!

tufsu1 · February 17, 2012, 02:03:25 PM

sorry ken, but I have to disagree....servers made $2.13 an hour when minimum wage for others was around $4....minimum wage is now at least $7.25, and higher in many states (FL is $7.67 and adjusts every year).

KenFSU · February 17, 2012, 02:13:34 PM

Quote from: tufsu1 on February 17, 2012, 02:03:25 PM
sorry ken, but I have to disagree....servers made $2.13 an hour when minimum wage for others was around $4....minimum wage is now at least $7.25, and higher in many states (FL is $7.67 and adjusts every year).

Not exactly, though. Servers made $2.13 per hour plus tips, when minimum wage for others was around $4. If they were making a scant $2 an hour in tips, they were already above minimum wage. And under this new legislation, servers would also be working for $2.13 per house plus tips. This means that servers are earning real minimum wage if they make approximately $5 in tips her hour. That seems a reasonable assumption for most restaurants still in business.

I'm definitely not suggesting that I think servers should work for below minimum wage. I just personally think that the previous minimum wage of $4.65 pretty much guarantees that the average server is making significantly more than minimum wage, which I don't think they should be entitled to by government legislation when other types of workers, working just as hard, are paid at minimum wage.

KenFSU · February 17, 2012, 02:23:59 PM

P.S. It would never happen, but in a perfect world, servers would simply be placed on restaurant payrolls like any other worker. The restaurant could raise food prices by 15-20% to compensate. Servers would be guaranteed at least minimum wage. They'd be forced to pay the same income taxes as the rest of us. And diners can leave the TI-83 at home and just pay for their food instead of worrying about tipping.

KenFSU · February 17, 2012, 02:39:46 PM

P.S.P.S.

The most important aspect was left out of the original article above:

The bill (SB 2106) allows restaurants and other employers to pay their staffs the federal tipped minimum wage of $2.13 an hour instead of Florida's minimum of $4.65, only if companies guarantee that employees would make at least $9.98 an hour, when tips are included. If employees earn less than $9.98 an hour, the company would be responsible for making up the difference.

Less-expensive restaurants have the option to and will likely keep paying $4.65 an hour, because they couldn't guarantee their employees would make enough in tips.

Doctor_K · February 17, 2012, 02:44:01 PM

Quote from: KenFSU on February 17, 2012, 02:23:59 PM
P.S. It would never happen, but in a perfect world, servers would simply be placed on restaurant payrolls like any other worker. The restaurant could raise food prices by 15-20% to compensate. Servers would be guaranteed at least minimum wage. They'd be forced to pay the same income taxes as the rest of us. And diners can leave the TI-83 at home and just pay for their food instead of worrying about tipping.

Isn't that how it's done across Europe and like, everywhere else on the planet?

Dog Walker · February 17, 2012, 02:44:11 PM

Quote from: KenFSU on February 17, 2012, 02:23:59 PM
P.S. It would never happen, but in a perfect world, servers would simply be placed on restaurant payrolls like any other worker. The restaurant could raise food prices by 15-20% to compensate. Servers would be guaranteed at least minimum wage. They'd be forced to pay the same income taxes as the rest of us. And diners can leave the TI-83 at home and just pay for their food instead of worrying about tipping.

That's exactly how they do it in "socialist" Europe. The servers there are salaried and a service charge is automatically added to your bill. Most of the servers there are experienced professionals with years of experience.

So KenFSU thinks socialist Europe is a "perfect world"?

KenFSU · February 17, 2012, 02:47:08 PM

Quote from: Dog Walker on February 17, 2012, 02:44:11 PM

Quote from: KenFSU on February 17, 2012, 02:23:59 PM
P.S. It would never happen, but in a perfect world, servers would simply be placed on restaurant payrolls like any other worker. The restaurant could raise food prices by 15-20% to compensate. Servers would be guaranteed at least minimum wage. They'd be forced to pay the same income taxes as the rest of us. And diners can leave the TI-83 at home and just pay for their food instead of worrying about tipping.

That's exactly how they do it in "socialist" Europe. The servers there are salaried and a service charge is automatically added to your bill. Most of the servers there are experienced professionals with years of experience.

So KenFSU things socialist Europe is a "perfect world"?

JeffreyS · February 17, 2012, 03:35:47 PM

Quote from: Doctor_K on February 17, 2012, 02:44:01 PM
Quote from: KenFSU on February 17, 2012, 02:23:59 PM
P.S. It would never happen, but in a perfect world, servers would simply be placed on restaurant payrolls like any other worker. The restaurant could raise food prices by 15-20% to compensate. Servers would be guaranteed at least minimum wage. They'd be forced to pay the same income taxes as the rest of us. And diners can leave the TI-83 at home and just pay for their food instead of worrying about tipping.

Isn't that how it's done across Europe and like, everywhere else on the planet?

Yes and for the most part we get far better service. Bar tending and good waiting jobs here are prized by some. The second they make just minimum wage like any other suck job that is how they will treat it.

Garden guy · February 17, 2012, 03:46:46 PM

Our history tells us by the votes of the republican party...they vote everytime to put more weight on those that already have less and vote to lessen financial burden on the wealthy...the votes tell the truth and those votes will be recorded and remembered and we learn that the fact is that the republicans could care less about the middle and lower classes...this is not news at all...and it will continue to be so until fucking democrats and others stop being so politically correct and get mad....I'm starting to see my party as a bunch of pussy boys that cant attack and get mean....apparently that's the way to brainwash millions of Americans.