Minimum wage workers earned more this past week than they did in 2015, due to Michigan’s minimum wage increasing from $8.15 to $8.50 on January 1 of this year.
The increase is the third step in a legislated five-step increase that began in 2014. In 2018, minimum wage will increase to its final step, to $9.25. For years beyond 2018, the legislation requires that the minimum wage have an annual increase that is indexed to inflation.
Tipped workers also got a small minimum wage increase, from $3.10 to $3.23. This is also part of the five-step increase mandated by the legislation. However, the legislation also states that the tipped minimum wage will always be 38% of the regular minimum wage.
As the Michigan League for Public Policy has written before, having such a low wage floor for wait staff and other tipped employees passes the risk of slow business or stingy customers onto the workers, many of whom cannot afford to lose the money.
As shown in the accompanying map, five other Midwestern states have tipped minimum wages higher than Michigan’s. Minnesota has a tipped minimum wage of $8, more than twice the amount of that in Michigan. (It is also worth pointing out that Minnesota’s unemployment rate is consistently much lower than Michigan’s unemployment rate.)
So while we can celebrate the fact that the minimum wage for both regular and tipped employees has just increased, let’s also continue to advocate for a fairer minimum wage for tipped workers. There are bills in Michigan’s Legislature that would eliminate the tipped wage altogether (House Bill 4720 and Senate Bill 373).
We can urge our legislators to support and pass these bills, which will pay a more fair wage to the workers who serve our food and provide other services for which we pay. At your state legislator’s town halls and coffee hours, will you bring this up and tell them to support ALL workers in your community?
Emily Jorgensen joined the Michigan League for Public Policy in July 2019. She deeply cares about the well-being of individuals and families and has a great love for Michigan. She is grateful that her position at the League enables her to combine these passions and work to help promote policies that will lead to better opportunities and security for all Michiganders.
Jacob Kaplan 
Mikell Frey is a communications professional with a passion for using the art of storytelling to positively impact lives. She strongly believes that positive social change can be inspired by the sharing of data-driven information coupled with the unique perspectives of people from all walks of life across Michigan, especially those who have faced extraordinary barriers. 
Rachel Richards rejoined the League in December 2020 as the Fiscal Policy Director working on state budget and tax policies. Prior to returning to the League, she served as the Director of Legislative Affairs for the Michigan Department of Treasury, the tax policy analyst and Legislative Director for the Michigan League for Public Policy, and a policy analyst and the Appropriations Coordinator for the Democratic Caucus of the Michigan House of Representatives. She brings with her over a decade of experience in policies focused on economic opportunity, including workforce issues, tax, and state budget.
Donald Stuckey 
Patrick Schaefer
Alexandra Stamm 
Amari Fuller
Renell Weathers, Michigan League for Public Policy (MLPP) Community Engagement Consultant. As community engagement consultant, Renell works with organizations throughout the state in connecting the impact of budget and tax policies to their communities. She is motivated by the belief that all children and adults deserve the opportunity to achieve their dreams regardless of race, ethnicity, religion or economic class.
Megan Farnsworth joined the League’s staff in December 2022 as Executive Assistant. Megan is driven by work that is personally fulfilling, and feels honored to help support the work of an organization that pushes for more robust programming and opportunities for the residents of our state. She’s excited and motivated to gain overarching knowledge of the policies and agendas that the League supports.
Yona Isaacs (she/hers) is an Early Childhood Data Analyst for the Kids Count project. After earning her Bachelor of Science in Biopsychology, Cognition, and Neuroscience at the University of Michigan, she began her career as a research coordinator in pediatric psychiatry using data to understand the impacts of brain activity and genetics on children’s behavior and mental health symptoms. This work prompted an interest in exploring social determinants of health and the role of policy in promoting equitable opportunities for all children, families, and communities. She returned to the University of Michigan to complete her Masters in Social Work focused on Social Policy and Evaluation, during which she interned with the ACLU of Michigan’s policy and legislative team and assisted local nonprofit organizations in creating data and evaluation metrics. She currently serves as a coordinator for the Michigan Center for Youth Justice on a project aiming to increase placement options and enhance cultural competency within the juvenile justice system for LGBTQIA+ youth. Yona is eager to put her data skills to work at the League in support of data-driven policies that advocate for equitable access to healthcare, education, economic security, and opportunity for 0-5 year old children. In her free time, she enjoys tackling DIY house projects and trying new outdoor activities with her dog.
Amber Bellazaire joined the Michigan League for Public Policy as a policy analyst in June of 2019. Her work primarily focuses on state policy and budgets affecting Michigan’s Medicaid programs. Previously, Amber worked at the National Conference of State Legislatures tracking legislation and research related to injury and violence prevention, adolescent health, and maternal and child health. She also brings with her two years of Americorps service. As a full time volunteer, Amber had the opportunity to tutor high school students in Chelsea, Massachusetts and address issues of healthcare access and food insecurity through in-person outreach in Seattle, Washington.
Simon Marshall-Shah joined the Michigan League for Public Policy as a State Policy Fellow in August 2019. His work focuses on state policy as it relates to the budget, immigration, health care and other League policy priorities. Before joining the League, he worked in Washington, D.C. at the Association for Community Affiliated Plans (ACAP), providing federal policy and advocacy support to nonprofit, Medicaid health plans (Safety Net Health Plans) related to the ACA Marketplaces as well as Quality & Operations.
[…] or failing to pay tipped workers the difference between their tips and the legal minimum wage (the tipped wage is also too low in general); […]