NY wage board could vote on raising tipped wage to $7; servers, labor groups wanted higher

A state board is poised to vote on whether to raise the hourly wage made by restaurant servers and other tipped workers.

The state's wage board is scheduled to meet Friday in Albany. The board is charged with making a recommendation to the state's labor commissioner on whether the tipped wage should be raised.

The law allows employers to pay tipped workers less than the minimum wage as long as gratuities make up the difference. Currently, servers make about $5 per hour before tips.

Labor groups had pushed the wage board to recommend eliminating the tipped wage altogether so the standard minimum wage would apply. But the board voted against that proposal earlier this month.

The labor commissioner is expected to make a final decision later this winter.