NJ-11 Congressional Candidate Analilia Mejia Stands in Solidarity With NJ Servers, Dons Apron in "Server for an Hour" Event Calling for Living Wages and an End to State’s Subminimum Wage 

New Jersey’s subminimum wage for tipped workers, just $5.26 per hour, leaves thousands of restaurant workers struggling to keep up with the cost of living and relying on unstable tips. Ending the subminimum wage is a key step toward living wages for all, especially as tipped workers face some of the highest rates of wage theft and sexual harassment of any industry.

Montclair, NJ — Today, NJ-11 congressional candidate Analilia Mejia will join One Fair Wage  and the Living Wage for All Campaign for a Server for an Hour event at Leone’s Pizzeria and Restaurant, where she worked alongside restaurant staff to experience firsthand the realities of tipped work and the urgent need to raise wages to better match the cost of living.

The event highlighted how New Jersey’s subminimum wage for tipped workers, currently just $5.26 per hour, forces thousands of Garden State workers to rely on unpredictable tips to survive, even as the cost of housing, groceries, and basic necessities continues to rise. Speakers emphasized that ending the subminimum wage is a necessary part of building a wage system that guarantees workers stable, livable incomes rather than shifting the burden onto customers and pushing workers into economic insecurity.

Mejia, a longtime champion for living wages and workers’ rights across New Jersey, highlighted the need for stronger pay standards and protections against wage theft and harassment, and for economic growth that reaches the workers who keep local communities and small businesses running. During the event, she served guests and spoke with restaurant workers and owners alongside One Fair Wage and Living Wage for All advocates about why raising wages and ending the subminimum wage are essential to building a stronger and more sustainable restaurant industry. A free lunch was provided for attendees.