A Win-Win Solution: Solving Both Chicago’s Youth Employment Crisis and Restaurant Industry Crisis Through One Fair Wage
Overview
This report highlights the dual crises of youth unemployment and staffing shortages in Chicago's restaurant industry. It discusses the potential of One Fair Wage, a policy to ensure full minimum wage with tips on top for tipped workers, to address both issues simultaneously. The focus is on increasing youth employment, reducing violent crime, and creating fair wage jobs in the restaurant sector.
Findings
Chicago's youth unemployment and restaurant staffing crises are interconnected, with potential for mutual resolution through fair wages.
The subminimum wage for tipped workers, a legacy of slavery, exacerbates poverty, sexual harassment, and employment instability.
Implementing One Fair Wage can significantly improve employment conditions, increase wages, and boost restaurant staffing.
Implications for Policy and Practice
Advocating for the abolition of the subminimum wage and the implementation of One Fair Wage in Chicago can enhance youth employment opportunities, promote economic stability, and address long-standing inequities in the restaurant industry.
Related Evidence
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Published January 1, 2023View Evidence
This report explores the systemic issue of subminimum wages for tipped workers in Maryland, a direct legacy of slavery, affecting over 105,000 tipped workers, predominantly women and people of color. It highlights the refusal of workers to work for subminimum wages amid the pandemic, leading to a staffing crisis in Maryland's restaurant industry.
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Published April 1, 2023View Evidence
This report contrasts the effects of One Fair Wage policies in California against New York's subminimum wage system on small business restaurants, with a focus on sales, job growth, and the success of minority and women-owned business enterprises.
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Published May 1, 2023View Evidence
This guide discusses the implications of Initiative 82 in Washington D.C., aiming to reform the restaurant industry by transitioning from a tipping model to a service charge model. It highlights the historic move away from subminimum wages for tipped workers, aiming to create a fairer wage system.
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Published May 1, 2023View Evidence
This report addresses the National Restaurant Association's efforts to weaken child labor laws, contextualizing it within the staffing crisis in the restaurant industry. It highlights the historical context of the NRA's advocacy for subminimum wages and its shift towards advocating for relaxed child labor regulations to fill staffing shortages.
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Published February 1, 2023View Evidence
This report examines the severe staffing crisis in Illinois' restaurant industry, focusing on the refusal of workers to accept subminimum wages.