The following story was written by a student on the staff of The Jaguar Times as part of Hilliard Bradley High School’s Journalism Production course.
by Addison Maley
Staff Writer
The Raise the Wage Ohio Coalition is aiming to amend Ohio’s state constitution, raising the state minimum wage to $15 an hour.
The proposed bill, Raise the Wage Ohio, was approved in mid-April to begin receiving petition signatures. The group hopes to receive the required 413,000 signatures by July 2024 so the issue can be placed on the November ballot later that year.
Ohio’s current minimum wage is $10.10 per hour for untipped workers, but those reliant on tips may make as little as $5.05 per hour.
While the customary practice of tipping makes up for a majority of the lowered wages, experts agree that recent inflation has resulted in overall lower tips. Less tips with less purchasing power leaves many in the service industry struggling to make ends meet.
Like a growing number of Americans, Madison Sheard (11) believes that tipping is a generally outdated practice, and Ohio should adopt a practice similar to Japan’s non-tipping culture. She feels that the cost of service should be included in the bill, “similar to how many countries include tax in the final amount.”
Raise the Wage Ohio would incrementally raise the hourly wage for tipped workers over four years, accommodating businesses who may struggle with a drastic change in pay. By 2028, tipped workers would make $15 an hour with tips on top.
Laura Togni (11) makes the current untipped minimum wage, $10.10 per hour. She is content with her pay, as she makes enough to support her needs as a teen.
Despite this, she strongly supports Raise the Wage Ohio’s proposal for a $15 an hour minimum.
“If someone wasn’t a teenager and actually needed a part-time job to live, $10.10 an hour definitely wouldn’t cut it. Everyone needs access to a liveable wage.”
Additionally, under the current Ohio constitution, it is legal for employers to pay disabled employees less than the minimum wage.
Jan Dougherty is the current co-president of the Ohio Association of Advancing People Supporting Employment First—the only association advocating exclusively for the employment of disabled Ohioans.
Dougherty’s disabled son is the inspiration behind much of her advocacy work. When he graduated high school, it became clear that his employment opportunities were greatly limited due to his disability.
“The only option after he graduated from high school was to go work at sub-minimum wage”
Dougherty’s leadership at APSE as well as the work of other disability activist groups have greatly decreased the number of disabled employees being paid sub-minimum wage, but an Ohio constitutional amendment would completely standardize the minimum wage.
Despite many supporters, Raise the Wage Ohio continues to face pushback, particularly from economists claiming the market will regulate the minimum wage through competition.
National Federation of Independent Businesses Ohio Director Chris Ferruso is one of these opponents. He argues, “these kinds of constitutionally set wage increases interrupt [the labor] market.”
This could prove detrimental to small businesses, specifically restaurants, who would not be able to financially support higher wages without layoffs or higher consumer prices.
In a politically and economically diverse state, Raise the Wage Ohio has a long road ahead of it to collect the necessary 413,000 signatures. As the campaign takes off, workers and employees alike are keeping an eye on the petition.