Sumter to Hold Monday Press Conference on Bill to Provide Long Overdue Raise of Tipped Worker Wage in NJ

Bill A-1972 is sponsored by Assembly members Sumter, Egan, Mosquera, Wimberly

(TRENTON) – On legislation that would change tipped wage law in New Jersey for the first time since 1938, Majority Conference Leader Shavonda Sumter joined by fellow legislators will discuss legislation to increase the minimum hourly wage for employees who customarily and regularly receive gratuities or tips.

“Tipped wages have not been raised in over 80 years. Earning a minimum of $2.13 per hour as a tipped wage worker in 2018 is unfair, and unequitable to the work we’ve done to raise the minimum wage,” said Sumter (D-Bergen, Passaic). “Seven of the country’s fifteen lowest paid jobs are tipped occupations. Two-thirds of the nation’s tipped workers are women, nearly forty percent are mothers. This is an equality issue, an economic issue and a great disparity against this segment of waged workers.”

The morning press conference will be held Monday at 10 am in Room 109 in the statehouse located in Trenton.